Italian Game Knight Attack Polerio Bishop Check Line
Italian Game
Definition
The Italian Game is a classical open-game opening that arises after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. Its hallmark is White’s early development of the king-side bishop to c4, eyeing the vulnerable f7-square while maintaining flexible central options. Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO) codes C50–C55 cover its many branches.
Usage in Play
Players choose the Italian Game to obtain rapid piece activity, clear strategic ideas, and a wealth of theoretically sound systems:
- Quiet Lines (e.g., 4.d3) that aim for a maneuvering middlegame.
- Open, Tactical Lines such as the Evans Gambit (4.b4) or the Knight Attack (4.Ng5).
Strategic or Historical Significance
The opening dates back to 16-century Italian masters like Greco and Polerio, making it one of the oldest recorded chess openings. After a lull in the 20th century, it experienced a renaissance at the elite level in the 2010s, thanks largely to Magnus Carlsen’s adoption of the more patient d3-systems that sidestep heavy theory in the Ruy Lopez.
Illustrative Example
World Championship, Carlsen – Anand, Chennai 2013 (Game 5):
Carlsen opted for a quiet 4.c3 followed by d3 and d4, revealing the flexibility of the Italian move-order.
Trivia & Anecdotes
• The name “Italian” stems from its Renaissance origins; early manuals in Rome
and Naples analyzed these positions in great depth.
• Because both bishops are often fianchetto-free, commentators jokingly call
the Italian Game “the double-barrelled shotgun” aimed at f7 and c7.
Knight Attack (Italian Game)
Definition
The Knight Attack is the sharp continuation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5!?. White’s king-knight hops to g5, directly hitting the f7-square in conjunction with the bishop on c4.
Usage in Play
By threatening 5.Bxf7+ or 5.Nxf7, White forces Black either to concede material or to enter well-charted theoretical lines:
- 4…d5 5.exd5 Na5 – the main line, returning the pawn for activity.
- 4…Bc5? – a common trap; after 5.Nxf7! Black’s rook is lost.
- 4…h6 5.Nxf7! – the Fried Liver idea, playable if Black misplaces the queen or knight.
Strategic or Historical Significance
The Knight Attack epitomizes Romantic-era play: piece sacrifices, open kings, and swift punishment of inaccuracies. While modern engines show that accurate defense equalizes for Black, it remains a feared weapon in amateur and rapid games.
Illustrative Example
Here White pockets a pawn and inflicts structural damage; Black counts on the bishop pair and central majority for compensation.
Trivia & Anecdotes
• In scholastic circles the Knight Attack is often mis-taught as a “free
win,” spawning the phrase “fried-liver fever.”
• GM Hikaru Nakamura occasionally revives 4.Ng5 in blitz, trusting practical
pressure over computer evaluations.
Polerio
Definition
Giulio Cesare Polerio (c. 1550 – 1610) was an Italian chess analyst whose manuscripts preserved the first systematic study of opening play. In opening nomenclature, “Polerio” often labels specific Italian Game sub-lines he analyzed, such as the Polerio Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0).
Usage in Chess Literature
Modern databases tag several C50–C54 branches with “Polerio,” honouring his pioneering work. Though superseded by contemporary theory, his ideas laid the groundwork for later analysts like Greco and Lucena.
Historical Significance
Polerio’s handwritten notebooks (now in the National Library of Valletta, Malta) pre-date Gioachino Greco’s famous Grecian Games. Historians credit Polerio with the earliest description of en passant and the modern castling rule in Italian sources.
Illustrative Example
The Polerio Gambit: White sacrifices a pawn and gains lead in development, open lines, and pressure on e4 and f7.
Trivia & Anecdotes
• Polerio’s treatises were lost for centuries until rediscovered in 1874 by
J. H. Sarratt.
• A Venetian story claims Polerio once played blindfold against three noblemen
simultaneously—centuries before such feats became common.
Bishop Check
Definition
A Bishop Check is any position-checking move delivered by a bishop. Because bishops operate on long diagonals, their checks often come from a distance and can be surprisingly difficult to parry.
Usage in Play
Bishop checks serve multiple tactical and strategic purposes:
- Development with Tempo – e.g., 3.Bb5+ in the Ruy Lopez.
- Skewer or Pin Set-ups – a bishop check can force an enemy piece to block, allowing subsequent tactics.
- Discovered Attacks – moving a different piece to expose a bishop check can unleash hidden threats.
Strategic or Historical Significance
The bishop check on c4–f7 (Italian Game) and b5–e8 (Ruy Lopez) famously shape opening theory. Masters often invest tempi to either create or neutralize a bishop check because it can dictate pawn-structure commitments (e.g., …c6, …d6).
Illustrative Example
The classic Greek Gift: 7.Bxf7+ forces the king into the open, where follow-up checks decide the game.
Trivia & Anecdotes
• In Soviet training manuals a bishop check from “out of the blue” is called
a “long-shot,” emphasizing its visual beauty.
• Garry Kasparov’s immortal 24…Bg7-h6+!! against Topalov (Wijk aan Zee 1999)
is cited as one of the most stunning bishop checks in modern play.
Line (in Chess)
Definition
The term Line in chess has two common, context-dependent meanings:
- Geometric Line – any straight path (rank, file, or diagonal) along which pieces move.
- Theoretical Line – a specific sequence of moves in opening or analytical study (“the main line of the Najdorf”).
Usage in Play
1. Opening Repertoire – Players choose lines that suit their
style (e.g., “the 6.h3 line of the Najdorf”).
2. Tactics – Comments like “open the e-line” refer to
clearing the e-file for rooks and queens.
3. Combinations – Sacrifices may open a diagonal line toward
the enemy king.
Strategic or Historical Significance
Controlling or opening lines is a fundamental strategic theme; the shift from closed to open lines often marks the transition from middlegame to endgame. In opening theory, identifying a cutting-edge “new line” can be worth an entire point at the top level.
Illustrative Example
The English Attack in the Najdorf: White’s pawn storm intends to open the g- and h-lines; Black counters by controlling the c-line with queens and rooks.
Trivia & Anecdotes
• The phrase “opening the floodgates” in commentary means unsealing
multiple lines at once.
• Magnus Carlsen humorously called his novel endgame idea against Karjakin,
NYC 2016, “just another side-line,” though it decided the
championship.