As White
The Italian Game
A calm 1.e4 setup: bishop to c4, c3, d3, castle, and one simple idea against everything Black tries.
The Italian Game starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, pointing the bishop at f7, a square only Black's king defends.
The quiet version. You play c3, d3, castle and Re1, then prepare d4 when you are ready. The moves barely change from game to game, which is what makes it friendly to learn.
The side roads. Against the Petrov you take on e5 and keep developing. Against the Stafford you take the pawn and ignore the fireworks. Short lines cover both.
Try it, no signup
Giuoco Pianissimo
Your move as White.
What the course covers
The quiet Italian
Giuoco Pianissimo
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 d6 6.O-O
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 5...O-O
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 O-O 6.O-O
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 5...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 h6 6.b4
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 5...Ng4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 Nf6 5.d3 Ng4 6.d4
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 4...d6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 4...d6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 Bb6 6.dxe5
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 4...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.c3 h6 5.b4
Black delays ...Bc5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 d6 6.O-O
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 5...O-O
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 O-O 6.O-O
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 5...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 h6 6.b4
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 5...Ng4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 Ng4 6.d4
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 4...d5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.O-O
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 4...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.c3 Bc5 6.b4
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 4...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.c3 d6 6.a4
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 4...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.c3 d5 6.exd5
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 4...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 h6 5.c3 a6 6.O-O
Black delays ...Bc5, vs 4...d6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 d6 5.Ng5
Black plays ...Be7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Be7 4.d3
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 3...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nxd4 6.Qxd4
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 3...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bc5 6.Bxf7+
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 3...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 3...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Ne5 6.Be2
Giuoco Pianissimo, vs 3...h6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6 4.d4 d6 5.dxe5
Black avoids 2...Nc6
Philidor
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Bc4
Philidor, vs 5...c5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 c5 6.Bb5+
Philidor, vs 5...Bg4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bg4 6.f3
Philidor, vs 5...Bd7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bd7 6.Be3
Philidor, vs 4...c5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 c5 5.Nb3
Philidor, vs 4...Bd7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bd7 5.Nc3
Philidor, vs 4...Nc6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6 5.Nc3
Philidor, vs 3...Bg4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Nc3 Bxf3 5.gxf3
Philidor, vs 3...Bg4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Nc3 exd4 5.Qxd4
Philidor, vs 3...Bg4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Nc3 Nc6 5.Bb5
Philidor, vs 3...Bg4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Bg4 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.dxe5
Philidor, vs 3...Nc6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 Nc6 4.d5
Philidor, vs 3...f6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6 3.d4 f6 4.Bc4
Petrov
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 d6 4.Nf3 Nxe4 5.d3
Petrov 3...Nxe4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Qe7 5.Qxe4
Petrov 3...Nxe4, vs 4...d5
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 d5 5.d3
Petrov 3...Nxe4, vs 4...d6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 d6 5.Nxf7
Petrov 3...Nxe4, vs 4...Nf6
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nxe4 4.Qe2 Nf6 5.Nc6+
Stafford Gambit
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Nc6 4.Nxc6 dxc6 5.d3 Bc5 6.Be2
Petrov, vs 3...Qe7
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nxe5 Qe7 4.d4