Beginner Chess Openings: The Italian Game
Hello readers!
Today I'm going to start a new series in the blog which covers some basic openings (for white and black) that you can learn at a beginner level, and the basic understanding of these openings. I'll be covering the theory behind the them, and the most common responses as the game progresses. As these are introductory, we won't cover multiple variations, but the one that most commonly arises in games. This way you can understand the theory of the opening, and what to expect in a majority of your games when you face this opening.
Let's start off with an easy one.
The Italian Game. (Giuoco Piano)
The Italian game is one of the easiest to learn, and it all starts with e4.
The main benefits of the Italian game are developing your king side pieces and controlling the centre. In addition, you are also getting yourself into the position to castle very quickly. This is an incredibly easy starting point for beginners due to its easy memorization and understanding. The goal and theory behind the Italian Game is coordinating an attack on the kings weak f7 pawn with the Knight and Bishop, and continuing reinforcement and control of the centre of the board.
From this position, black most commonly plays Bc5. From here, white should play c3, preparing to play d4 on the next move, attacking the bishop on c5 and the pawn on e5. The most common response is for Black to play Nf6, allowing the continuation of the attack by White with d4, forking the bishop and pawn. Once this is captured by the Pawn on e5, we recapture with cxd4. Black’s best option in this instance is to move the Bishop to b4 (Bb4+), putting the King in check. The most common and practical response in this variation is to play Nc3, blocking the attack with a Knight that is guarded by the Pawn on b2. See below.
Now there can be many Variations before, and after this result. One example is Black playing Nxd4, to which we should respond to by playing Qxd4, winning a Knight for a pawn, and even further reinforcing our Centre control.
From here, White has a very comfortable position, with a developed Queen, Bishop, and Knight, and a sound attack on the f7 pawn lined up. After this position, it’s most common for both sides to castle (O-O), and continue play from there.
In the future, I will do a further deep dive into the Italian games, with variations before, and after this line. For now, thank you for your time and reading and I hope you can take this small lesson with you and dominate with the Italian Game opening!
Remember: Analyze your games and play smart!
Good luck on the 64 squares!
