Chess Openings Lab
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Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo

The Giuoco Pianissimo is 3...Bc5 4.d3, a slow Italian where White protects e4 with a pawn instead of rushing d4. White builds with c3, h3 and a4 before any central break, and Black copies the setup with ...d6, ...Nf6 and ...a6 to keep the c5 bishop safe.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3
ECO
C50
Engine
+0.15 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
34,336 games in our lichess sample
White scores
50.7%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play c3 and keep the option of d4 later, once the king is castled and the rooks are connected.
  • Use a4 to gain queenside space and to make ...b5 harder, so the bishops stay on their diagonals.
  • Push h3 so Black's light-squared bishop cannot pin the f3 knight from g4.
  • Reroute the queen's knight with Nbd2 and Nf1, then on toward g3 and f5 on the kingside.

Black

  • Play ...a6 and retreat ...Ba7 so the c5 bishop survives a later d4 or b4 by White.
  • Develop with ...Nf6, ...d6 and short castling, matching White's slow buildup move for move.
  • Add ...h6 to stop Bg5 and keep the f6 knight free of pins.
  • For sharper play, ...f5 at once strikes at e4, but it loosens the black king.

Plans and pawn structure

The center is quiet: c3, d3 and e4 against e5, with no pawns exchanged. Both sides maneuver. White often plays Re1, Nbd2-f1-g3 and sometimes d4 or b4 to gain space. Black answers with ...Ne7-g6 or ...Be6 to trade the c4 bishop, and looks for ...d5 when it can be backed up. Because so little is forced, the player who understands the slow plans and avoids loosening pawn moves tends to come out ahead.

Where the engine's main line heads: Quiet center: c3–d3–e4 against e5. A slow center: White has c3, d3 and e4 against e5. Nobody is in a hurry, and the d3–d4 break decides when the game opens.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.15: level. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. +0.15 4...d6 5.c3 Nf6 6.h3 a6 7.a4
  2. +0.16 4...a6 5.O-O d6 6.a4 Nf6 7.h3
  3. +0.20 4...Nf6 5.O-O d6 6.c3 a6 7.a4

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

34,336 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 50.7%.

under 120051.2%
1200–159950.4%
1600–199951.1%
2000 and up49.5%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

How to play against it

As Black, keep it simple: ...d6, ...Nf6, ...a6 and short castling. Avoid an early ...Bg4 if h3 is coming, and do not rush ...d5 before it is supported. Use ...h6 against Bg5 and ...Ba7 against a4 or b4, and the slow pace suits you as well as White.

Other lines with this name

The lichess opening list also files these lines under the same name, though they reach a different position: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.O-O Bc5 5.Nc3 d6 6.d3; 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.O-O O-O; 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.O-O O-O 6.d3.

Questions

What are the moves of the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo?

The Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.d3. Its ECO code is C50.

Is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.15 at depth 20, which is level. In 34,336 lichess games from our sample, White scored 50.7%. Ideal for patient players on both sides who like maneuvering more than early tactics; it rewards plans over memorized lines.

What is the main idea of the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo?

White avoids an early d4 and builds slowly with c3, d3, h3 and a4. Both sides maneuver behind a quiet center, and the main break for White is a well prepared d4, while Black looks for ...d5.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is d6, with a6 and Nf6 close behind. 4...d6 supports e5 and keeps all options, with ...Nf6, ...a6 and ...Ba7 to follow.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.