TacticForge

Chapter 1 of 7

The Giuoco Piano: 3…Bc5 4.c3

After 3…Bc5 4.c3 White prepares d4 and a big centre. Against 4…Nf6 the Møller Attack gives a pawn for a lead in development; against 4…d6, White keeps the centre and a safe extra space.

Giuoco Piano means "quiet game", but the way this book plays it is anything but quiet. 4.c3 prepares 5.d4, and if Black lets White keep two pawns on d4 and e4, the knights on c6 and f6 will be driven back.

Black's most popular answer is 4…Nf6, attacking e4. After 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ White plays 7.Nc3, giving up the e4 pawn. After 7…Nxe4 8.O-O White is ready to open lines against the king in the centre, and the Møller Attack, 8…Bxc3 9.d5, is the main line. Against 4…d6 there is no attack on e4, and White simply keeps the centre with 5.d4.

At a glance

4…Nf6

5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3. After 7…Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3, the Møller Attack: 9.d5.

4…d6

5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3, or against 6…Bb6, 7.h3 to keep the bishop off g4.

6…Bb6

Without the check, 7.e5 chases the knight away from the centre.

Key ideas

Two pawns in the centre

With pawns on d4 and e4, White threatens d5 against the knight on c6 and e5 against the knight on f6. Black has to act at once, usually with the check on b4.

Give a pawn, win time

The Møller Attack. Instead of taking back on c3, White hits the knight on c6. When it moves, Re1 wins the knight on e4 back, and Black's king is still in the centre.

Keep the knight on f3

The knight on f3 defends d4. h3 stops …Bg4 from pinning or trading it, so the centre holds.

From history

Five hundred years old

Giuoco Piano is Italian for "quiet game". It is one of the oldest recorded openings: Damiano's book of 1512 and Polerio in the 16th century analysed it. In the 1620s Gioachino Greco gave the line 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O, played in this chapter.

A Danish master

The Møller Attack, 8…Bxc3 9.d5, is named after Jørgen Møller (1873–1944), a Danish master who was Nordic champion in 1899 and 1901. It was first played at the end of the 19th century.

A famous brilliancy

In 1895 at Hastings, Wilhelm Steinitz beat Curt von Bardeleben from this chapter's line with 7…d5, and won the first brilliancy prize. Facing mate, von Bardeleben left the hall without resigning and lost on time.

The lines

Click a move or use the arrows. Highlighted moves carry a note, and under each note you'll find the other moves played from that position, including the tempting mistakes. The number under the board is Stockfish's evaluation from your side: minus means your opponent is better.

Find a line: this chapter by moves

Black plays 4…Nf6

The Møller Attack: 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8.O-O

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 4…d6

4…d6 5.d4: the bishop check

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Black plays 6…Bb6

6…Bb6 7.e5: chase the knight

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 7…O-O

7…O-O 8.Bg5: pin and pressure

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 7…Bxc3+

7…Bxc3+ 8.bxc3: the big centre

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 7…d5

7…d5 8.exd5: Steinitz–Bardeleben territory

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 7…d6

7…d6 8.d5: gain space with tempo

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 5…Bb6

5…Bb6 6.dxe5: win a pawn

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 6…Bb6

6…Bb6 7.h3: keep the bishop out

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Black plays 7…Bxc3+

7.Nc3 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3

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Black plays 7…Nge7

7.Nc3 Nge7 8.Ng5

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 7…h6

7.Nc3 h6 8.Qb3

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Black plays 7…Qe7

7.e5 Qe7: pin the pawn, castle first

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 6…Nxe5

6.dxe5 Nxe5 7.Nxe5

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Black plays 7…Nf6

7.h3 Nf6 8.O-O

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Black plays 7…Nge7

7.h3 Nge7 8.O-O

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

A model game

Games between masters, with the engine's evaluation under the board.

From the German team championship of 1976–77. Jürgen Dueball plays the Møller Attack against the grandmaster Luděk Pachman. Both sides know the line, and the game stays level deep into the middlegame, until one careless king move gives White a lasting edge.

German team championship · 1-0

Dueball, Juergen – Pachman, Ludek, 1976

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Step through the moves with the arrows, or click a move.

Take these into your games

Count the checks before taking e4

When Black takes on e4, look for Re1, d5 and Qa4+. The pawn is often a fair price for those tempi.

Do not let the bishop sit on g4

Against …d6 set-ups, h3 keeps the knight on f3 in place and the centre safe.