Giuoco Piano Game - Evans Accepted & Anderssen Variation
Giuoco Piano Game
Definition
The Giuoco Piano (“Quiet Game” in Italian) is the oldest branch of the Italian Opening. It arises after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 when White continues with the “quiet” 4. c3 or 4. d3 instead of the sharper Evans or Two-Knights Gambits. The name distinguishes it from the Giuoco Pianissimo (“very quiet game”), where both sides refrain from early pawn breaks.
Usage in Play
Players choose the Giuoco Piano when they want:
- An open centre later rather than immediately, allowing graceful piece development.
- Rich, strategic manoeuvring positions with possibilities for both kingside attacks and queenside expansion.
- A theoretically sound opening that can transpose into myriad Italian structures such as the d3-Italian or modern Italian Hedgehog.
Strategic and Historical Significance
- Piece Placement: Both bishops are immediately developed to aggressive diagonals. Control of the central dark-squares (d4, e5) becomes the main battleground.
- Pawn Breaks: White aims for d4 (after c3) or the slower c3–d4–e5 pawn storm. Black counters with …d5 or …f5, often timed to meet White’s break.
- Pedigree: Documented in the 16th-century work of Greco and later championed by Giulio Cesare Polerio; it defined opening theory during the Romantic era.
Illustrative Example
The classic model game Greco vs. NN, c. 1620 still teaches the dangers lurking for the second player:
After 15. e5 White’s lead in development and open lines embody the quintessential Giuoco Piano themes.
Interesting Facts
- Because it was “standard opening equipment” for centuries, its theory appears in almost every classical treatise from Greco (1620) to Lasker (1895).
- World Champions Kasparov and Carlsen have both revived the Giuoco Piano in modern elite play, proving its timeless relevance.
- The Giuoco Piano forms the trunk from which the Evans Gambit, Moeller Attack, and Evan-MacCutcheon counter-gambits all branch.
Evans Accepted
Definition
“Evans Accepted” refers to the critical line of the Evans Gambit in which Black accepts
the offered b-pawn:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4.
Named after Captain William Davies Evans (1827), the gambit seeks a tempo-reversible sacrifice:
White gives up a wing pawn to gain time, space, and open lines for a sweeping initiative.
Usage in Play
- Immediate Compensation: After 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4, White erects a massive centre and rapid piece activity.
- Central Targeting: White’s pieces gravitate towards f7, d5, and c7 while Black struggles to coordinate.
- Testing Line: Accepting the pawn is considered the “critical” try for Black; declining (e.g., 4…Bb6) often concedes the opening battle.
Strategic and Historical Significance
- Romantic Symbol: The Evans Gambit epitomised 19th-century attacking chess; Anderssen, Morphy, and Chigorin all routed opponents with it.
- The “Berlin Wall” of Its Day: In the late 1800s, the Evans was considered so dangerous that elite players worked hard to neutralise it with defensive novelties, presaging modern opening-prep arms races.
- Modern Revival: Garry Kasparov famously ambushed Viswanathan Anand (Riga, 1995) and Karpov (Linares, 1995) with the Evans, proving that accurate computers could not fully kill its practical sting.
Illustrative Example
Kasparov – Anand, Riga 1995 (rapid)
Kasparov’s 14. Ba3! and subsequent queenside bombardment illustrate how the extra tempi and open lines compensate for the pawn.
Interesting Facts
- Theoretical main lines of the Evans are encoded in ECO codes C51–C52.
- The square b4, offered on move four, is sometimes called “Captain Evans’ Pier” in historical literature.
- Many modern engines initially evaluate Evans-Accepted positions as near-equal, yet in human practice the initiative often proves decisive — a humbling reminder of chess’ practical complexities.
Anderssen Variation (Evans Gambit, Accepted)
Definition
The Anderssen Variation is a sharp sub-line of the Evans Gambit Accepted characterised by the sequence
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. b4 Bxb4 5. c3 Ba5 6. d4 exd4 7. O-O dxc3 8. Qb3 Qf6 (or related queen moves).
By delaying the immediate recapture on c3, White (following Adolf Anderssen’s practice) prioritises
rapid development and direct pressure on f7, often sacrificing a second pawn.
Usage in Play
White employs the Anderssen Variation to:
- Keep Black’s king in the centre and threaten a quick Bc1–g5 or Nc3–d5 assault.
- Generate tactical motifs based on the dual threats Qxf7# and Bxf7+.
- Dictate the pace of the game — Black must walk a tightrope between returning material or weathering the storm.
Strategic and Historical Significance
- Double-Gambit Spirit: Anderssen’s idea of 7. O-O!! shows the Romantic willingness to ignore material for time.
- Eponymous Hero: Adolf Anderssen (World’s #1 in the 1850s) unleashed this line in numerous exhibition battles, including his celebrated “Evergreen Game” vs. Dufresne, Berlin 1852.
- Modern Interpretation: Contemporary practice often sees Black sidestep White’s preparation with 7…Nge7 instead of 7…dxc3, but the Anderssen approach remains an aggressive surprise weapon.
Illustrative Example
A. Anderssen – J. Dufresne, Berlin 1852 (“Evergreen Game”)
White’s spectacular 30-move king hunt culminates in 55. Nxe7#, immortalising the variation.
Interesting Facts
- The line was once called the “Anderssen Counter-Gambit” in 19th-century German literature.
- Engines rate the position after 8. Qb3 as roughly equal with best defence, but practical results heavily favour White at club level.
- Some theoreticians group 7. O-O dxc3 8. Qb3 and 8. Ng5!? under the broader “Anderssen Attack” umbrella.