If you are looking for a first opening to learn as White, the Italian Game is a strong choice — not because it is a trick, but because it follows every opening principle a beginner is trying to learn. It develops quickly, fights for the centre, aims at a real weakness, and leads to a king that can castle safely. It has been played for centuries, at every level, which means the ideas behind it are well understood and easy to explain.
This article teaches the Italian Game as ideas, not as a long list of moves to memorise. Learn the first few moves, understand what each move is trying to do, and you will be able to play it sensibly even when Black does something you have not prepared for.
The starting moves
The Italian Game begins:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
Let us take those moves one at a time, because each one teaches something.
1. e4 claims the centre and opens lines for the queen and the king's bishop. It is the most direct first move in chess, and the most popular at every level.
1…e5 is Black's matching central move. Black is not trying to trick White; Black is also fighting for the centre and developing.
2. Nf3 develops a knight towards the centre and attacks Black's e5 pawn. White is not just developing — White is developing with a threat. Black must now deal with the attack on e5, which limits Black's choices.
2…Nc6 defends e5 and develops a knight. Again, development with a purpose.
3. Bc4 develops the bishop to an active square, aimed at f7. The f7 pawn is a special square: it is defended only by the king at the start of the game, so it is the weakest pawn in Black's camp. White is not threatening to win it immediately — Black can defend it easily — but the bishop on c4 puts lasting pressure on it and supports central play.
Notice what has happened after just three moves: both sides have central pawns, both have developed a knight, White has developed a bishop, and neither queen has moved. That is exactly what good opening play looks like.
What White is trying to do next
From here, White's usual plan is straightforward:
- Castle short (O-O) once the knight and bishop on the kingside have moved, so the king is safe and the rook comes towards the centre.
- Play d3 or d4, depending on the position, to strengthen the centre and open lines for the remaining pieces.
- Develop the queenside knight and bishop, connect the rooks, and only then look for a middlegame plan — often play in the centre, or against a weakness Black creates.
A typical, beginner-friendly continuation is 3…Bc5 (Black develops in the same spirit) 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3. White prepares d4, keeps the centre solid, and is ready to castle. White has not won anything yet, and that is fine. The Italian Game is not about winning in ten moves. It is about reaching a good middlegame with all your pieces working.
If Black instead plays 3…Nf6, the game becomes the Two Knights Defence. White can continue simply with 4. d3, developing and preparing to castle, rather than diving into sharp tactics. There are sharper lines here, but a beginner does not need them. Sound, simple development is enough, and it keeps the game understandable.
Three ideas to remember, not thirty moves
Idea 1: The bishop on c4 is doing a job. It attacks f7, supports the centre, and will often stay on that diagonal for a long time. Do not move it away without a reason, and do not trade it for a knight on the edge of the board just because a capture is available. Ask first: does this trade help my development and my centre, or does it just remove a good piece?
Idea 2: The centre decides the plan. If Black allows White to play d4 safely, White often gets a strong centre and open lines. If Black fights back in the centre with …d5, White should be ready to meet it — sometimes by capturing, sometimes by supporting the pawn, sometimes by letting Black take and then developing with tempo. The exact choice depends on the position, which is why reviewing your own Italian games with a coach is more useful than memorising a single line.
Idea 3: Do not rush the attack. A common beginner error in the Italian Game is to push pawns at Black's king before castling, or to bring the queen to h5 too early. The position looks attacking, but the king is still in the centre and the queen can be chased. Castle first, develop fully, and let the attack grow out of a sound position. An attack that starts from a safe king is far harder to meet than an attack that leaves your own king exposed.
Common mistakes in the Italian Game
Playing Bc4 and then moving it twice. After 3. Bc4, some beginners play Bxf7+ hoping for a quick win, or move the bishop again when it is attacked by …Na5. Before moving a developed piece again, check whether you have an undeveloped piece that could move instead. Often, castling or developing the other bishop is the better reply to an attack on c4.
Forgetting about Black's centre. White sometimes plays only on the kingside and ignores a Black …d5 break in the centre. Watch the centre on every move. If Black can play …d5 for free and open the position while your king is still uncastled, that is a warning sign, not a detail.
Treating the opening as finished after move five. Development is not complete when you have made five moves; it is complete when your minor pieces are out, you have castled, and your rooks are connected. Keep developing until that is true, even if it feels quiet. Quiet, complete development is what makes later tactics possible.
How to practise it
The Italian Game rewards a small, regular routine:
- Play it in every game as White for two weeks. Do not switch openings after one loss. You learn an opening by meeting different replies to it, not by abandoning it.
- After each game, write down where you stopped following the plan. Did you castle? Did you develop all your minor pieces? Did you play a central pawn move at a useful moment? One honest note per game is worth more than ten new lines.
- Solve tactics from Italian-style positions. The Puzzle Trainer includes tactics that arise from open, developed positions — forks on f7, discovered attacks when a central pawn moves, and back-rank ideas once the rooks connect. Practising those patterns makes the Italian Game feel familiar, not just memorised.
Parents often ask whether a child should learn “an opening” or “how to play chess.” The Italian Game is a good answer to both questions at once: it is a real opening, and because its moves follow general principles, learning it teaches how to play chess. A child who understands why Bc4, castling and d3 belong together can apply the same thinking to other openings later.
The bottom line
The Italian Game is a good first opening because it is honest: it develops pieces, fights for the centre, pressures f7, and castles safely. Learn its ideas, play it regularly, review your games, and let the middlegame plans grow from a sound start.
To learn the Italian Game move by move with a coach — including what to do when Black plays something unexpected — book a free trial class with Superior Chess Academy, Bangalore, on WhatsApp: https://wa.me/918401533777 or call +91 84015 33777. Fees and class formats are shared on WhatsApp.
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