Giuoco Piano
You play Black · 38 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
Take a quiz
10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 32
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Main LineC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 a6 8. Bb3 Ba7 9. h39 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 a6 7. a4 Ba77 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 a6 7. a4 O-O7 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 a6 7. Re1 Ba77 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a4 a5C541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. a4 a57 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Nbd2 O-O 7. O-O7 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 h6 7. Re17 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 h6 7. Nbd27 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 a56 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. c3 Bb66 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 O-O 6. c3 d56 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a6C541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. Nbd2 a66 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco PianissimoC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 h6 6. c36 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, Albin VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. b46 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a5C541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. d3 a5 6. c36 moves
- Classical Variation, Giuoco Pianissimo, with a6C541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 a65 moves
- Giuoco PianissimoC501. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. Nc3 d6 6. d36 moves
- Giuoco PianissimoC501. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. O-O O-O 6. d36 moves
- Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal VariationC501. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg56 moves
- Giuoco Pianissimo, Dubois VariationC501. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 f5 5. Ng5 f45 moves
- Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Moeller-Bayonet AttackC541. 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. g412 moves
- Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Anderssen VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 Ne4 8. cxd4 Bb4+8 moves
- Classical Variation, Greco Gambit, Dubov ItalianC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. b46 moves
- Giuoco Piano, Bernstein VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Qb3 d510 moves
- Giuoco Piano, Aitken VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3 Nxe4 8. O-O Nxc3 9. bxc3 Bxc3 10. Ba310 moves
- Classical Variation, Ghulam-Kassim VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. e5 Ne4 7. Bd5 Nxf2 8. Kxf2 dxc3+ 9. Kg39 moves
- Classical Variation, Tarrasch VariationC531. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6 6. O-O d6 7. a4 a6 8. h3 Nf6 9. Re19 moves
- Classical Variation, Eisinger VariationC531. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6 6. d5 Nb8 7. d67 moves
- Classical Variation, La Bourdonnais VariationC531. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 d6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb66 moves
- Classical Variation, Mestel VariationC531. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Qe7 5. d4 Bb6 6. Bg56 moves
- Classical Variation, with d5C541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d55 moves
- Classical Variation, Albin GambitC501. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. O-O Nf6 5. c35 moves
Other variations · 6
- Giuoco Piano, Therkatz-Herzog VariationC541. 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 O-O 14. Nxh714 moves
- Giuoco Piano, Krause VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Nxe4 8. Bxb4 Nxb4 9. Bxf7+ Kxf7 10. Qb3+ d5 11. Ne5+ Kf6 12. f312 moves
- Giuoco Piano, Holzhausen AttackC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. d4 Bxd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Bg5 d6 8. f4 Qe7 9. fxe5 dxe5 10. Nc310 moves
- Giuoco Piano, Steinitz VariationC541. 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. bxc3 d5 10. Ba310 moves
- Giuoco Piano, Rosentreter VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. O-O Bc5 5. d4 Bxd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Bg5 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. f49 moves
- Giuoco Piano, Cracow VariationC541. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Kf17 moves
What is the Giuoco Piano?
The Giuoco Piano arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5: Black mirrors White's development and puts the bishop on its most active square, aiming at f2. This guide looks at it from Black's side. White's main choices are c3, preparing d4, and d3, the slow Giuoco Pianissimo. The name means quiet game, and the modern Pianissimo is indeed a slow manoeuvring battle, but the old lines with an early d4 can become very sharp. It is one of the oldest and most respected openings in chess, played at every level from beginners to world champions.
Main ideas and plans
Against c3 the standard reply is ...Nf6, attacking e4. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ White chooses between Bd2 and Nc3. Against Bd2, Black trades and strikes in the center: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+ 8.Nbxd2 d5, breaking up White's center. Against Nc3 you must know the Greco Gambit lines: 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 is the sharp Moeller line, so many players prefer the solid ...d5 instead of taking on e4. In the Anderssen line, where White pushes e5 on move six, Black answers with ...d5 and ...Ne4.
In the Giuoco Pianissimo, with c3 and d3, the game is slow. Black's typical set-up is ...d6, ...O-O, ...a6 or ...a5 and ...Ba7 to keep the bishop, ...h6 to stop Bg5, ...Re8, and ...Be6 to challenge the bishop on c4. White often plays Nbd2-f1-g3 and a later d4, so Black prepares the ...d5 break or a knight route like ...Ne7-g6. Lines with a4 and ...a5 or an early ...a6 fight for queenside space, and the Canal Variation, with Nc3 and Bg5, puts pressure on the knight on f6.
Who is it for?
The Giuoco Piano suits classical players who want sound development and a fair fight in the center, and it is a good first defense against the Italian Game. In the slow lines the game is decided by understanding manoeuvres and the right moment for ...d5; in the sharp lines with d4, by knowing a few concrete moves. The risk is that a passive set-up lets White build a slow kingside attack. Learn the ...Bxd2+ and ...d5 idea against Bd2 first, and know at least one safe answer to Nc3 so that the Moeller line does not catch you out.