Openings: For The Advanced

If you need an advice, I would say that it's not like Italian is a bad or tricks only opening but like literally every other it needs some knowledge so if I were u, I wouldn't change it but just learn it better. If u really want to improve maybe buy some courses or watch videos on youtube

Queen's Gambit (you don't have to play the main line against any opening, just play d4 c4, Nc3, Nf3 against Anything, even as Black. (except when Black plays 1.e4)

d4 and d5 are the boss moves of the game.

vs. 1.e4 - Sicilian Kan. Confusing the opponent is almost guaranteed.

Against English Opening (1.c4), you play 1...c5 (he prevented you from d5, you prevent him from d4), than you strive for Nf6, e6, d5, and a quick 0-0 - same priciple - Nf6 Nc6, c5 d5.

Against everything else, d5 c5 Nc6 Nf6.

Play with the lichess.org Master's Database, it will teach you plenty. (tools, analysis board)

And if Black's bishop is stuck, try to keep it stuck:

Someone explain to me me again "why" someone can't play the Italian Opening all the way up to 2500 elo.

I missed where that was discussed

@1

"I ran the Italian Game" ++ Excellent

"it stopped working against the better players"
++ No, do not blame the Italian for your tactical mistakes.

"my pieces on the left wouldn’t be developed" ++ Develop them then.
 
"White - Queens Pawn" ++ Good too.

a. Queens Gambit ++ Good too.
b. London System ++ Good too.
c. Trompowski Attack ++ Good too.

"a. Blackburne Shilling Gambit" ++ Bad
"b. Try Developing Pieces" ++ Always good.
"c. Sicilian Defense" ++ Good, but difficult.
"a. Englund Gambit" ++ Bad

@5

""why" someone can't play the Italian Opening all the way up to 2500 elo."
++ It is playable all the way up to 2900 elo and beyond.

https://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=2136417

The Italian Game is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5. The most common way to play it at the GM level seems to be to go for 4.c3 Nc6 5.d3 (rather than 5.d4).

Hogwash.

You say you quit playing the Italian because people don't "fall for it", and so now you want to change from a perfectly sound opening to complete garbage!

Blackburne-Schilling Gambit?

Englund Gambit?

Pa-leez! Your definition of better players must be that you graduated from facing 500 rated players and now play 800 rated players. Any 2000 player will cream you playing that utter trash!

The Italian Game is specifically 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5.

3...Nf6 is the Two Knights Defense

3...Be7 is the Hungarian Defense

2...Nf6 is Petroff's Defense (or the Russian Defense)

They both lose, but other than that, they are just fine.

The above diagram is the starting position of the Italian Game.

If Black plays 3…Nf6, It is 2 Knights Defense

If Black plays 3…Bc5, It is Giuoco Piano (Joe-Ko-Pee-An-O)

If Black plays 3…Be7, It is Hungarian Defense

The above 3 lines are the better ways for black to play.

The below 3 lines are considered not that great, but sometimes people play them.

3…d6 - Paris Defense

3…h6 - Anti-Fried Liver

3…f5 - Rousseau Gambit

————————

The line the OP is talking about which involves Queen + Knight fork happens in the 3…Two Knights Defense. It is a variation called Fried Liver Attack.

When Black plays 3…Nf6, they are attacking the undefended E Pawn.

White can respond a few ways. The solid most straight forward way would be to play the move 4.d3 which lets the D pawn defend the E pawn.

Another more exotic way to defend the E pawn is with the move 4. Ng5. The Knight move is considered both a defense and an attack. It defends E pawn + adds another attacker on f7 pawn which is already being hit by Light Square Bishop.

If Black doesn’t know what they are doing, Let’s say they try to kick away the Knight with H pawn so they can grab E pawn. White can embarrass Black with a crushing fork.

The move 4…h6 would be blunder in the above position.

Black only has 2 adequate responses after 4.Ng5.

The main move is 4…d5 which breaks the coordination of the Light Square Bishop + Knight.

The alternative move is 4…Bc5 which setting up 1 of the most devastating attacks known as the Traxler Counter Attack. It is a very exotic line.

This is usually the main continuation if neither player plays alternative stuff which I mentioned above. Black has 4 different moves which can be played.

- Nxd5 - Beginners often stumble into this line.

- Na5 - Polerio Variation

- b5 - Ulvestad Variation

- Nd4 - Fritz Variation

The most natural Nxd5 is considered the worst out of the 4 options.

Here is a game where I played the line vs. 1900 player.

Normally, the players around my ranking range don’t willingly go into the above line. My opponent must of thought he could out play me in the line.

Different game against better opponent playing different line.

Move 1 to 8 are all the book moves which I know by heart.

I think 8.Be2 is Classical way of playing the line.

8. Qf3 use to be an alternative way to play the line.

A few years ago, I believe the Grand Master Nakamura played the move 8.Bd3 which might be the new way to play the line, but I haven’t played it yet.

My opponent played incorrect move on move 8…Bc5 isn’t main reply.

There is a dangerous line white has to be careful about which is why I know the book moves very deeply because if I don’t know them white can get in trouble very fast.

Look how scary that continuation is for White. It almost looks like white is losing the White Knight or getting checkmated with the Black Queen + Bishop, BUT WHITE HAS DEFENSE!

That is why it is important for me to know it.

Pretty cool, huh!

Erm...

Sorry, but 1090 is not "advanced".

The illusion of ratings U1000 given by chess.com should not fool you. In real life you don't even get rated under 1000 Elo. Except for kids in Rapid or Blitz.

Go to a chess club and hear what people say about it all.

The Italian is a top opening suitable to be played up to World Championship level.

What it sounds like is that you have hit a plateau and need a better understanding of middle game plans to get past it.

I'm speculating here, but reading between the lines it sounds like your opponents stopped walking into the fried liver and now you've had to play real games of chess.