Hey I was playing a friend from school the other day and i opened with the Giouco Piano. My friend made an interesting move in the opening which i dont think is the standard line, he took what seems to be a free pawn. Can anyone tell me what moves i should play to attack back? or does the Giouco Piano just offer a free pawn? Help!?

Not to my knowledge, just watch out for the black reply(after Qb3+) in Kf8 and Qe7 which forces the queen-trade due to the possible discovery. The Giouco Piano is not one of those openings known for building up a healthy opening advantage, rather it has a "hit or miss" feel; usually the opponent gets crushed or equalizes with no problem.

  But, I'm sure that won't matter in casual games, and, in fact, the opening can be very exciting at times. I wouldn't worry too much about what I said. 

Actually for me the 'mistake'(not a mistake but a there is a better way) was made after 6...Bb4+. The best way to counter that is 7.Nc3 blocking the check. After 7....Nxe4. You castle with the thought that if 8....Bxc3 then u have the powerful move 9.d5!! Also known as the Moller Attack. Which effectively wins a piece. Play the variation out.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 Nxe4 8. 0-0

if 8....Bxc3 as mentioned he loses a piece with 9.d5!! After that u threaten his bishop at c3 his knight at c6 and his other knight is also indirectly threatened by the move Re1!!.

If 8...Nxc3 u simply take it by bxc3.If he makes the mistake and plays Bxc3, u then have the very strong move Ba3. If Bxa1 then Re1+ is devastating. Ne7 is forced But then Rxe7+ and white is up the exchange: two rooks and a bishop for a queen, a knight and a bishop. Black can answer in two ways d6 or d5. d5 is stronger. After d6 white just moves his rook to c1 threatening the bischop at c3. White's main plan is to pile on the pressure on the knight at c6 and develop a strong queenside attack.

After,  d5 white's best answer Bb5 again piling on the pressure on the knight. Even though black will capture white's rook at a1, black's rook at a8 is in danger if white plays accordingly.

Look at online tutorials, there are lots. But dont focus on memorizing variations, but try to understand the logic behind them, then u won't even need to remember them, they'll just come naturally to you

http://chess.about.com/od/improveyouropenings/ss/aa06d22_9.htm

Good luck!!! 

There are some pretty good analysis articles on the Giouco Piano here:

September 2001 Swansong of the Giuoco Piano (Part 1)

October 2001 The Giuoco Piano (Part 2): The Case for the Defence

February 2002 The Giuoco Piano on Trial (Part 3): The Summing-Up 

March 2006 The Giuoco Piano Revisited

Database statistics can sometimes be unreliable. The moeller attack can lead to tight-rope walking positions for black, which, could beef up the win percentage even if the opening itself does not lead to anything good theoretically. 

 1. e4 e5 

2. Nf3 Nc6 
3. Bc4 Bc5 
4. c3 Nf6 
5. d4 exd4 
6. cxd4 Bb4+ 
7. Nc3 Nxe4 
8. O-O Bxc3 
9. d5 Bf6 
10. Re1 Ne7 
11. Rxe4 d6 
12. Bg5 Bxg5 
13. Nxg5 h6 
14. Qe2 hxg5 
15. Re1 Be6 
16. dxe6 f6 
17. Re3 c6 
18. Rh3 Rxh3 

19. gxh3 g6 *  

 This is one of black's best defenses against the moller attack; white has some compensation for the pawn, but is it enough? Not for me, I'd say.

Statistics ask more questions than they answer.

On a personal level i prefer to play 7.Bd2. To Reb: your stats dont include the average ratings of white/black (or average of white who played Nc3 -versus- average who played Bd2). The years in which the games are played too are quite important too. I guess recent form would also be needed. You must remember that these games are probably being played by strong tournamnet players 2000+ up to GM level so to a 1600 player the stats mean very little. It is catch 22 tho because as Reb says what is the option other than stats. Well: the question is how the stats are formulated.... because, stats can manipulated if you wanted depending in what you include or dont include in calculating them. 

I agree with this assessment, but I agree with Reb's way of thinking too. So here is one source to back Killabeez's say : Secrets of Practical Chess (1st ed.) by GM John Nunn, pp. 77-81. where he duly analyzes 7.Nc3 and the Möller attack and shows that black is at least ok, and maybe even a little more...

In response to Reb.
Hmmm...well i did not say that Bd2 is better than Nd2. I just prefer that line because it suits me. I didnt look up any stats prior to making my decision about which line got my first preference.

The point i was making was about statistics in general not about which or why Bd2 or Nc3 is better. The point you make: I use chess assistant but I imagine chessbase gives similar stats with some slight variations. Is basically what i was getting at. Stats are complied by using some information, what information you use will generate some result. Another person could generate totally different results using similar but more select information. Then again, the results of both could turn out to be the exact same. 

I dont think anyone is against the comment you posted giving the stats. I think if anyone is its on the point that stats complied on a study of GM`s might not correlate to a study on >2000 players. You get me? I dont think your being scolded either.