Italian Game: Knight Attack & Variations
Italian Game
Definition
The Italian Game is a classical double-king-pawn opening that begins with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4. By placing the bishop on the a2–g8 diagonal at the earliest opportunity, White eyes the vulnerable f7-square and prepares rapid kingside development. First analysed in 16th-century manuscripts from the Göttingen School, it is one of the oldest recorded chess openings.
Main Ideas & Strategic Themes
- Center Control: White’s e-pawn and knight attack Black’s central e-pawn, inviting ...Nf6 or ...Bc5 responses.
- Rapid Piece Play: Both sides develop quickly; open lines and early tactics are common.
- Choice of Schemes:
- Quiet Giuoco Pianissimo plans (c3–d3–Re1) aiming for a slow build-up.
- Sharp Two Knights Defence lines leading to the famous Knight Attack (4.Ng5).
Historical Significance
For centuries the Italian Game epitomised “correct” chess and dominated master praxis until the 19th century, when the Ruy Lopez gradually took over. Its study produced some of the earliest theory, including the first recorded instance of the word gambit (the Evans Gambit, 1820s).
Illustrative Example
After 6.d4 White sacrifices a pawn to open lines against the f7-square—a typical Italian motif.
Interesting Fact
The ECO volume C dedicates codes C50–C59 exclusively to branches of the Italian Game, underscoring its theoretical depth.
Knight Attack (Italian Game: Two Knights Defence)
Definition
The Knight Attack arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5. White’s kingside knight immediately lunges at f7, threatening the “Fried Liver” fork on f7 if allowed.
How It Is Used
- Tactical Pressure: The move 4.Ng5 forces Black either to protect f7 or to counter-attack in the centre with 4…d5.
- Psychological Weapon: At club level the line scores well because one inaccurate reply can lead to a miniature.
- Theoretical Battleground: Modern engines show that with best play Black survives, but the margin for error is thin.
Key Continutations
- 4…d5 5.exd5 Na5 –> Polerio Variation.
- 4…d5 5.exd5 Nxd5?! –> Fried Liver Attack (dangerous for Black).
- 4…Bc5?! –> Traxler (Wilkes-Barre) Counter-Attack, an ultra-sharp gambit.
Example Miniature
This “Fried Liver” sequence demonstrates the raw tactical nature of the Knight Attack.
Anecdote
Garry Kasparov once used 4.Ng5 as a surprise weapon in blitz against Anatoly Karpov, remarking that “every generation rediscovers its own Fried Liver.”
Polerio Variation
Definition
Named after the Italian theoretician Giulio Cesare Polerio (circa 1550–1610), the Polerio Variation follows: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5. Black counter-sacrifices space by attacking the bishop on c4 and sidestepping the Fried Liver complications.
Strategic Points
- The retreat 6.Bb5+ or 6.Be2 leads to dynamic imbalance: Black gains the bishop pair and open lines, White enjoys a central pawn majority.
- Because f7 remains under latent pressure, Black must tread carefully in the early middlegame.
Typical Continuation
After 10.Be2, material is equal, but Black’s doubled c-pawns and weak dark squares grant White long-term targets.
Interesting Fact
Polerio’s original manuscripts (rediscovered in the 19th century) already analysed 5…Na5, showing that Renaissance masters anticipated modern defensive resources.
Bishop Check (Polerio–Bishop Check Variation)
Definition
The Bishop Check is the most theoretical branch inside the Polerio lines: 6.Bb5+. Instead of dodging with the bishop, White delivers an immediate check, forcing Black to reveal their defensive setup.
After 6.Bb5+, Black’s Main Replies
- 6…c6 – enters the Bogoljubov System.
- 6…Bd7 – a more solid alternative credited to Steinitz, aiming for piece exchanges.
- 6…Ke7?! – extremely rare, mimicking old king walks à la Traxler.
Positional Themes
The check provokes weaknesses (either c6 or Bd7) that White may later exploit by targeting c6 or by manoeuvring the c4-bishop to g2.
Famous Game Reference
Tal vs. Uhlmann, Leipzig Olympiad 1960 featured the Bishop Check; Tal sacrificed two pawns yet conjured an irresistible kingside attack.
Bogoljubov Variation
Definition
Named after the two-time World-Championship Challenger Efim Bogoljubov, this continuation of the Bishop Check proceeds:
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6
- 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 (or 8.Bd3/8.Qf3) …
Black counters in the centre with …c6, accepting doubled c-pawns but grabbing the initiative on the b-file and aiming for …h6 …e4.
Strategic & Practical Considerations
- Dynamically Equal: Engines assign ≈0.00 but positions remain razor-sharp.
- Minority Structure: Black’s c-pawns sometimes become targets in endgames, echoing a “minority attack” theme normally associated with the Queen’s Gambit.
- King Safety Trade-off: Black keeps the king central a bit longer, trusting piece activity to compensate.
Example Line (Mainstream Theory)
White’s knight lands on e5, eyeing c6 and f7, while Black prepares …Bd6 and possible …O-O-O.
Anecdote
Bogoljubov is reputed to have quipped “When I am White I win because I am White; when I am Black I win because I am Bogoljubov.” His namesake system likewise claims equality for Black in one of the sharpest Italian offshoots.
Colman Variation
Definition
The Colman Variation is a rare but venomous sub-line of the Bogoljubov System, attributed to the British player Dr. Julius S. Colman (analysed 1920s). After the standard Bogoljubov moves:
- …h6 9.Nh3 e4 10. Nc3! (or 10.Ne5)
- Black often responds with 10…Bxh3 11.gxh3 Bc5, entering wildly unbalanced positions.
The variation gambits the h-pawn and opens the g-file, echoing themes from the King’s Gambit transposed into an Italian framework.
Why Play It?
- Surprise Value: Modern databases show fewer than 1% of Knight-Attack games reach Colman territory.
- Attack vs. Structure: White accepts structural damage for open lines against the black king; Black banks on the extra pawn and bishop pair.
Example Attack Motif
Here both sides have castled opposite wings; all three Colman “ingredients”—open lines, opposite- coloured bishops, and asymmetrical pawn structures—promise sustained complications.
Interesting Fact
Because of its rarity, engine “book” depth often ends around move 12, making the Colman Variation a fertile hunting ground for well-prepared theoreticians.