Italian Game

1. 1

   Aim at f7 from move three

   1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4

   f7 is defended only by the king, so any piece that reaches it with tempo is dangerous. The c4 bishop already looks at it; a knight on g5 or e5 doubles the attack. Every early Italian tactic — Fried Liver, Fegatello, Legall's mate patterns — starts from this one fact.

2. 2

   Giuoco Piano: mirrored development

   1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5

   Black copies White's bishop move, aiming at f2 in return. Play is symmetric until White breaks it with c3 and d4, building a full centre; Black must then decide whether to hold the centre with ...d6 or trade it off with ...exd4.

3. 3

   The c3–d4 centre

   4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+

   White's main plan: c3 prepares d4, building a full pawn centre a tempo before Black can react. After 5...exd4 6.cxd4 Black checks on b4 because the centre now needs defending; White answers 7.Nc3 or 7.Bd2, and the position resembles a Queen's Gambit with colours reversed — White has more space and more central pawns for the cost of a slightly exposed king.

4. 4

   The Møller/Giuoco Pianissimo split

   1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3

   The quiet modern main line. Instead of racing for d4, White plays d3, c3 and O-O first, keeping the centre flexible and the king safe, then decides between d4 later or a slow kingside build-up with Nbd2, Re1 and Nf1–g3. Less theory, less risk, and still a small, lasting edge.

5. 5

   Two Knights: Black strikes back at e4

   1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6

   Instead of mirroring, Black attacks e4 immediately. White cannot simply defend it (4.d3 is fine but passive) and the sharpest try, 4.Ng5, grabs at f7 before Black can castle — leading to some of the sharpest theory in all of open games.

6. 6

   The Fried Liver Attack

   3...Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7

   White sacrifices a knight to drag the king to f7: 6...Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6 (forced) 8.Nc3 leaves the king in the centre for a ferocious attack, though modern engines rate the resulting mess as roughly balanced with precise defence. Black's safer route is 6...Nb4! attacking c2 instead of recapturing, sidestepping the whole complex.

7. 7

   Two Knights, quiet way: 4.d3

   1...e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3

   The modern main line sidesteps all Fried Liver theory: White simply supports e4 and develops slowly with c3, O-O and Re1, keeping a small, safe, lasting edge instead of chasing a forced attack that engines have mostly defused.

These are the patterns worth knowing. For the full count, see the Italian Game mistakes players make most often at each rating.

1. 1

   White: the kingside build-up (Pianissimo)

   8...Ba7 9.h3 h6 10.Nf1 Re8 11.Ng3

   White regroups the queenside knight to g3 via f1, aiming at f5 and h5, then looks for d4 at a favourable moment or a slow kingside pawn storm. Black mirrors with ...Ba7, ...Be6 and a rook to e8. Whoever times the central break (d4 for White, ...d5 for Black) better gets the advantage; both sides can happily manoeuvre for many moves first.

2. 2

   White: the bishop pair after the c3–d4 exchange

   6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Nbxd2 d5

   If Black trades the dark-squared bishops on d2 instead of retreating, White gets the bishop pair and a full centre in return for a slightly slower development. The plan is O-O, Re1 and using the c4 bishop plus the d4 pawn to cramp Black; Black's counter is the freeing ...d5 break, trading down towards an equal but simplified position.

3. 3

   Black: development first, then ...d5

   6.O-O O-O 7.Re1 a6 8.Nbd2 Ba7

   In the calm lines Black's whole plan is to finish development safely (...a6 stops Nb5/Bb5 ideas, ...Ba7 keeps the bishop out of tactics on c5) and then look for ...d5 at the right moment, or ...Nd4/...Ng4 hops once White's pieces are committed. Patience matters more than a quick counter-attack.

4. 4

   Black: meeting the Evans Gambit with early counterplay

   5.c3 Ba5 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O d3

   Rather than trying to hold the extra pawn passively, modern theory has Black give a pawn back with ...d3 or ...Nge7/...d6 setups, finishing development quickly and meeting White's initiative head-on instead of defending a static extra pawn under fire. Grabbing and clinging to material against a gambit is usually the losing plan.

5. 5

   The Fried Liver's practical alternative: 5...Na5

   3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5

   Instead of entering the sharpest Fried Liver theory, Black hits the c4 bishop immediately. After 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 (or 8.Ba4) Black has an isolated pawn duo and open lines for the bishop pair in return for the sacrificed pawn — a safe, well-tested way to meet 4.Ng5 without memorising forced mating lines.