The Italian Game for White

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4

The Italian Game arises after 1.e4 1...e5 2.Nf3 2...Nc6 3.Bc4: the bishop aims at f7, the weakest point in Black's camp. This course gives you a calm, modern repertoire for White, built from 13,560 games of all the player collections on this site; Stockfish checked every position. It is meant for club players who prefer playing with a clear plan to memorising variations. The core: White builds a firm centre with c3 and d3, castles, puts the rook on e1 and brings the knight via d2 and f1 to g3. Only when everything is ready does the central break d4 follow. Black has two main roads: 3...Bc5, the Giuoco Piano (52 % of the games), and 3...Nf6, the Two Knights Defense (42 %). Against both you play d3 and reach very similar positions. Also watch out for the trap 4...Qe7: Stockfish then sees White almost a pawn ahead.

The pawns on c3 and d3 guard e4 and prepare the advance d4 – it comes only when rook and knight are ready.
The knight travels via d2 and f1 to g3 (Nbd2, Nf1, Ng3); Re1 clears f1 for it. From g3 it eyes f5 and h5.
h3 takes the square g4 away from Black's bishop and knight, so that no annoying pin arises.
The bishop often retreats early to b3 (Bb3); against Na5 it steps aside to c2 or a2 and so stays on the board.
If Black offers the bishop trade with Be6, you can take on e6 yourself (Bxe6) and give Black doubled pawns – or, after the trade on b3, recapture with the queen (Qxb3) and aim at b7.
In the Two Knights Defense White gains space on the queenside with a4; against Na5, Ba2 keeps the bishop on the diagonal towards f7.