Italian Game

Giuoco Pianissimo – Queenside a4 Expansion

Black spends a tempo on ...h6 to avoid Bg5; White uses it for a4, preventing ...b5. After ...a5 the b5 square becomes an outpost for the white bishop, and the Nbd2-f1-g3 manoeuvre remains available.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3 Nf6 5.c3 d6 6.O-O h6 7.a4 a5 8.Re1 O-O 9.Nbd2 Be6

Move by move

  1. 1.e4 – Occupies the centre and frees the queen and the f1-bishop, which in the Italian Game goes to c4 to aim at the weak f7 point.
  2. 1...e5 – Black contests the centre at once: the e5 pawn controls d4 and f4 and opens the diagonal for the f8-bishop and the queen.
  3. 2.Nf3 – Development with an attack: the knight hits the e5 pawn, controls d4 and prepares quick kingside castling.
  4. 2...Nc6 – Defends e5 while developing and adds control of d4, the square White wants for a pawn.
  5. 3.Bc4 – The Italian Game move: the bishop aims at f7, defended only by the king, and controls d5, making ...d5 harder to achieve.
  6. 3...Bc5 – The Giuoco Piano: Black replies symmetrically, aiming at f2 and controlling d4 to hinder the d2-d4 advance.
  7. 4.d3 – The Giuoco Pianissimo: White protects e4 and postpones the central fight; d3-d4 will come later, after c3 and full development.
  8. 4...Nf6 – Black develops the knight and attacks e4, now protected by d3; he prepares kingside castling.
  9. 5.c3 – Prepares d4 and gives the c4-bishop a retreat to b3 or c2 if Black plays ...Na5; it also takes d4 away from the c6-knight.
  10. 5...d6 – Black reinforces e5 and opens the c8-bishop's diagonal: he too chooses a solid, flexible structure.
  11. 6.O-O – White castles before choosing a plan: the rook can go to e1 and the king is off the c5-bishop's diagonal.
  12. 6...h6 – A prophylactic move: it prevents Bg5 and Ng5, but delays castling and does not help development.
  13. 7.a4 – White gains space on the queenside and prevents ...b5, which would drive away the c4-bishop; it also prepares a5 against a possible ...Bb6.
  14. 7...a5 – Black stops a4-a5 and gains the b4 square for a piece, but leaves the b5 square weak.
  15. 8.Re1 – The rook supports e4 and frees f1 for the knight, which will follow the d2-f1-g3 route.
  16. 8...O-O – Black castles: with ...h6 already played the king has an escape square, but the h6 pawn can become a target for Bxh6.
  17. 9.Nbd2 – The knight enters play on the way to f1 and g3; the c3 square stays with the pawn that supports d4.
  18. 9...Be6 – Black challenges the c4-bishop: if White exchanges, ...fxe6 opens the f-file for Black but leaves an e6 pawn to defend.

How to exploit the position

A closed structure with pawns on a4 and a5: White has the b5 square for the bishop and pieces ready for Nf1-g3; Black is solid but spent a tempo on ...h6.

Master tips

The b5 square after ...a5

When Black answers a4 with ...a5, the b5 square can no longer be controlled by a black pawn.

Model games