Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense
The McDonnell Defense is the Evans Gambit line where Black takes with 4...Bxb4 and, after 5.c3, drops the bishop back to c5 instead of a5 or e7. White has given a pawn to build a center with d4 at tempo, while Black wants to keep the pawn and finish development safely.
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5
- ECO
- C51
- Engine
- +0.31 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 1,103 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 59.4%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- Strike with 6.d4 right away. It hits e5, gains time on the c5 bishop after ...exd4, and frees the c1-bishop toward g5 and h6.
- After 7.O-O and 8.cxd4, White's pawns on d4 and e4 rule the center. A later e5 takes f6 from the g8-knight, and d5 hits the c6-knight.
- Ba3 is a typical Evans resource because the b-pawn is gone. Once the black bishop leaves c5, it rakes the a3-f8 diagonal and makes castling harder.
- Qb3 lines up with the c4-bishop against f7. It works best before Black can play ...Na5 and hit the queen and bishop together.
Black
- Meet 6.d4 with 6...exd4. After 7.O-O, 7...Bb6 tucks the bishop onto the a7-g1 diagonal, where cxd4 no longer hits it.
- The engine idea 8...Na5 attacks the c4-bishop, White's best attacker. After 9.Bd3, 9...d6 gives Black a compact, solid shell.
- If White castles first with 6.O-O, hold e5 with 6...d6 and ...Bb6. A queen trade after dxe5 suits Black, who stays a pawn up.
- Give the pawn back when it buys time. Getting the king off e8 matters more than keeping every extra pawn.
Plans and pawn structure
If White gets d4 and e4 side by side with the king castled, the plan is a fast kingside attack with e5, Qb3 or Ba3, and a rook to e1. Black's plan is to blunt the center with ...d6, park the bishop on b6 and trade White's c4-bishop with ...Na5. Every tempo counts here. A black king that castles safely means the extra pawn starts to tell. A black king still on e8 after ten moves often falls to e5 and Re1.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.31: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for White:
- +0.31 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O Bb6 8.cxd4 Na5
- −0.20 6.O-O d6 7.d4 Bb6 8.dxe5 dxe5
- −0.48 6.Bb3 Nf6 7.d4 exd4 8.O-O d3
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
1,103 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 59.4%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Where it goes next
- Evans Gambit, Mortimer-Evans Gambit6.d4 · rare
How to play against it
Play 6.d4 and keep the initiative. The quieter 6.O-O and 6.Bb3 let Black settle with ...d6 and ...Nf6, and then the missing pawn is just a missing pawn. After 8...Na5, keep the bishop with 9.Bd3 and aim pieces at the king rather than rushing to win material back.
Questions
What are the moves of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense?
The Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bxb4 5.c3 Bc5. Its ECO code is C51.
Is the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense good for Black?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.31 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. In 1,103 lichess games from our sample, White scored 59.4%. Good for attacking White players who know the follow-up with d4 and quick castling; Black needs to know where the bishop goes and when to give material back.
What is the main idea of the Italian Game: Evans Gambit, McDonnell Defense?
White spent a pawn to get c3 and d4 in with tempo. After 6.d4 exd4 7.O-O, Black is briefly two pawns up and must use the time for ...Bb6, ...Na5 and ...d6 before White's pieces arrive.
What should White play next?
The engine's first choice is d4, with O-O and Bb3 close behind. 6.d4 hits e5 at once and opens the c1-bishop, turning White's lead in development into central space before Black can castle.
Related lines
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.