Italian Game Knight Attack Polerio Bishop Check Variations
Italian Game
Definition
The Italian Game is the family of openings that starts with the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. By developing the king’s knight and bishop to their classical squares, White immediately contests the centre and targets the vulnerable f7-point.
How it is used in chess
- Provides rapid piece development and early castling options for both sides.
- Leads to a wide tree of sub-openings: Giuoco Piano, Evans Gambit, Two Knights Defence, and the modern Giuoco Pianissimo strategic systems.
- Favoured in scholastic chess for its direct plans, yet still used at elite level as a surprise weapon.
Strategic and historical significance
One of the oldest recorded openings—examples appear in the 16th-century notebooks of Giulio Cesare Polerio and Gioachino Greco. Modern computer preparation has revived interest, especially in “slow” manoeuvring lines such as the Giuoco Pianissimo adopted by Caruana and Carlsen in their 2018 World Championship match.
Example main line
Interesting facts
- The term “Giuoco Piano” literally means “quiet game” in Italian—an ironic label, as many branches lead to fierce tactical complications.
- Early chess literature often referred to 3.Bc4 as “the Bishop’s Opening continued with Nf3.” Only in the 19th century did it become a distinct entity.
- Many beginner traps, such as the “Italian Four-Move Mate,” spring from this opening and illustrate basic mating patterns on f7.
Knight Attack (Italian Game)
Definition
The Knight Attack arises after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5. White’s king’s knight jumps aggressively to g5, eyeing the f7-square and setting concrete tactical threats.
Typical continuation
- 4…d5 (forced, counter-attacking in the centre)
- 5.exd5 (accepting the pawn) and now Black chooses between
- 5…Na5—the Polerio Defence
- 5…Nxd5—the main line that can transpose to the Fried Liver or Lolli Attack
Strategic ideas
White hopes to overload f7 while Black races for counterplay in the centre. The position often becomes razor-sharp; one tempo means the difference between checkmate and a lost endgame.
Historic games
- Zukertort – Anderssen, Berlin 1865: A spectacular early model showing the sacrifices possible after 4.Ng5.
- Nakamura – Caruana, Saint Louis 2020 (online rapid): illustrates modern engine-backed defensive resources for Black.
Trivia
The move 4.Ng5 used to be called the “Fried Liver Attack” by casual players, but technically the Fried Liver starts only after 5…Nxd5 6.Nxf7!.
Polerio (Defence in the Knight Attack)
Definition
The Polerio Defence is Black’s counter to the Knight Attack: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5. Instead of recapturing on d5, the c6-knight sidesteps to a5, hitting the bishop on c4 and aiming for c4–d6 squares.
Why choose Polerio?
- Avoids the feared 6.Nxf7 (Fried Liver) line altogether.
- Maintains material balance while demanding accurate play from White.
- Introduces asymmetry—one knight on the rim for dynamic compensation.
Historical note
Named after Giulio Cesare Polerio (circa 1550–1610), an Italian analyst whose manuscripts anticipated several 19th-century “modern” ideas. His original notes already recommended …Na5 in similar positions.
Key tactical motifs
- …h6 forcing the ambitious white knight back.
- …b5 kicking White’s light-squared bishop, often prepared by …a6.
- Central pawn breaks with …c6 or …d5 (again) to free the c8-bishop.
Bishop Check Variation
Definition
After the Polerio Defence, White can give an immediate check: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5 6. Bb5+. This is called the Bishop Check, pressuring the c6-knight and keeping Black’s king in the centre a bit longer.
Plans for each side
- White: Castle quickly, consolidate the extra pawn on d5 or c2, and exploit Black’s misplaced a5-knight.
- Black: Block the check safely (…c6 or …Bd7), generate queenside pawn momentum, and activate the dormant c8-bishop.
Critical continuations
- 6…c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 – the Bogoljubov Variation.
- 6…Bd7 7.Qe2 (or 7.Bxd7+) – the Blackburne Variation.
Illustrative mini-game
Fun fact
Because the bishop steps to b5 without capturing, some older sources dubbed it a “spite check.” Yet modern engines show it to be fully respectable.
Bogoljubov Variation (in the Bishop Check)
Definition & move order
The Bogoljubov Variation follows 6…c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 after the Bishop Check. The line is named for Grandmaster Efim Bogoljubov, World Championship challenger in 1929 and 1934, who employed and analysed it extensively.
Strategic landscape
- Structure: Black accepts doubled c-pawns but obtains the half-open b-file and central mass (…d5 is often forthcoming).
- Piece play: The a5-knight can reroute to c4 or b7; the c8-bishop emerges via a6 or f5.
- Imbalance: White keeps an extra pawn (temporarily) yet must tame Black’s activity and avoid falling behind in development.
Typical middlegame ideas
- White tries to blockade the c-pawns and exchange pieces to highlight his material edge.
- Black seeks dynamic compensation: rook lifts along the b-file, knight jumps to d4, and central breaks.
Historical nugget
Bogoljubov’s famous quip “When I am White I win because I am White; when I am Black I win because I am Bogoljubov” reflects the fighting spirit embodied in this ambitious defensive choice.
Blackburne Variation (in the Bishop Check)
Definition & move order
The Blackburne Variation appears after 6…Bd7 (instead of 6…c6) 7.Qe2—named after the 19th-century British tactician Joseph Henry Blackburne, who favoured this calmer king-side development.
Main ideas
- Black interposes the dark-squared bishop, preparing …a6 and …b5 to drive the checking bishop away without concessions in pawn structure.
- White’s queen on e2 both defends the e-pawn and prepares long-term pressure on the e-file, sometimes supporting an eventual d4 break.
Comparison with the Bogoljubov line
Where Bogoljubov accepts structural weakness for activity, Blackburne keeps the pawn shell intact but cedes a tempo. Choice depends on style: tactical fireworks versus positional solidity.
Sample continuation
Anecdote
Blackburne was nicknamed “The Black Death” for his swashbuckling style—yet this variation shows his positional side, calmly parrying the check rather than diving into immediate complications.