Difficulty Finding a style of Italian game u want to play
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My rating is around 400-500. I'm trying to climb to 1000.
I've settled on e4 and the Italian game.
for white. I can't decide which style of Italian I should play, Moller attack, classical Italian, giouco pianinissio (quiet game) evans gambit etc.
I've got the main ideas down for the Italian structures but I fail to convert my position into a win.
I've been using a book on the Italian and people at my ELO don't play the best moves. so I'm left not sure how best to respond.
any suggestions?
I'd like to start building from the opening with white forming an attack and pressuring either through material advantage Into an endgame or by finding a checkmating attack.
I feel really lost. but I know I want to play this system as I enjoy it!
for reference when I play black. against E4 I play french. against D4 I am experimenting with slav, Dutch.
I am supplementing my openings with learning basic engane concepts tactics etc. reading books on positional and tactical concepts. slowly trying to improve my game.
any advice would be welcome thanks 🙏
Italian is what I play, and it was recommended to me because it follows all the opening principles and allows you to castle really early. The perfect beginner opening. I’m 1400 now, but I still have no idea what any of those “styles” you list are. They aren’t necessary to learn, and like you said, no one you play will go into prepared lines anyway. Instead of spending time memorizing lines for no reason, just play the basic opening moves for the Italian, then focus on opening principles like developing your pieces and getting your king safe. Then you will start to recognize common patterns that emerge from those Italian setups.
Jan 7, 2025
0
#3
If you want to practice against a bot then the Chidobe-Awuzie bot (found under Athletes) plays various lines of the Italian game.
4-500 rating? It is irrelevant all the opening theory you are focusing on. At this point you just have to understand how the game works (not reffering to how pieces move) but the opening principles, tactics and middle game ideas and plans and crucially, the basic endings. How to checkmate with king and pawn vs king, or how to instantly check mate with queen and king vs king, not making a stalemate etc. Doing lots of tactics and looking up on how good players are playing, on youtube for instance. I am 1600 and i have no idea what italian variations you are writting above, but even if you know them, it is irrelevant as you lack knowledge of the game after openings ends (5-7 moves)
Jan 7, 2025
0
#6
at your rating, tactics should be given max priority and you shouldn't really worry about opening. Once you reach 800-1000 you can start re-incorporating that into your routine where the extra tactics were taking place (still do puzzles of course)
Play the Birds Attack!
I can’t believe you forgot about one of the best lines!
Introduction to The Italian Game, Evans Gambit & Two Knights Defense
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/introduction-to-the-italian-game
Introduction to the Bishop's Opening...
https://www.chess.com/blog/RussBell/introduction-to-the-bishops-opening
I'm the same as OP, low ELO, just started playing for "real" and have looked up some openings, particuarly the italian game. But as they say, I'm more succesfull when I worry less about lines and just open principled and take what's in front of me instead of trying to force a particular line or attack I just saw. Having said that, looking at some opening lines is being usefull in learning the opening principles for now. What I'm struggling with is finding tactics even when it's just a two move combo. Moreover I don't know how to train them besides doing puzzles which I religiously do every day, until my poverty keeps me from doing more. But they're very focused on checkmating attacks and I still struggle to create such opportunities in game.
TLDR: as low(er) ranked player myself, I understand that I should study tactics but I don't know how. As for openings having some in your repertoire is good when it comes to you but they're usefullness at my level is more educational than something I can actually play.