Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation
The Bogoljubow Variation is 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3, where White's queen pins the c6 pawn to the a8 rook instead of retreating the bishop. Black can give the exchange with ...cxb5 or develop with ...Be7 or ...Rb8 and use the lead in time.
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3
- ECO
- C58
- Engine
- −0.44 · a slight edge for Black (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 661 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 52.8%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- If Black plays ...cxb5, take Qxa8 and bring the queen back with Qf3 before it gets trapped.
- Against ...Be7 or ...Rb8, retreat Bd3 and use Nc3 and Nge4 to trade pieces.
- Play h3 when Black has ...h6 ideas so the kingside knight has a safe retreat.
- Keep the queen away from tactics on the long diagonal once Black plays ...Bb7.
Black
- ...cxb5 is the engine's first choice: after Qxa8 Black gives the exchange for a bishop and big activity.
- Follow with ...Be7, ...Qd7 and ...Bb7 to hit White's queen and the g2 pawn.
- ...Be7 is solid: castle, then ...h6 and ...Nd5 to push White's knights around.
- ...Rb8 unpins the c6 pawn at once and aims the rook at b2.
Plans and pawn structure
After ...cxb5 Qxa8, Black has two minor pieces for a rook, counting the gambit pawn, and White's queen is far from home. Black plays ...Be7, ...Qd7 and ...Bb7 to hunt the queen and attack g2, often with ...O-O and ...e4 next. White's plan is to bring the queen back with Qf3 and Qd3, develop with Nc3 and castle. In the calmer lines Black gets the usual Polerio play with ...h6, ...e4 and the b-file.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.44: a slight edge for Black. Its three top choices for Black:
- −0.44 8...cxb5 9.Qxa8 Be7 10.Nc3 Qd7 11.Qf3
- −0.15 8...Be7 9.Bd3 O-O 10.Nc3 h6 11.Nge4
- −0.11 8...Rb8 9.Bd3 Bd6 10.h3 h6 11.Ne4
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
661 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 52.8%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Where it goes next
- Two Knights Defense, Blackburne Variation8...cxb5 · rare
- Two Knights Defense, Colman Variation8...Rb8 · rare
- Two Knights Defense, Paoli Variation8...Qc7 · rare
How to play against it
As Black, the exchange sacrifice with ...cxb5 is strong and leaves White's queen on a8 out of play. If you want less risk, ...Be7 or ...Rb8 are fine. Do not ignore the attack on c6 with a slow move like ...h6.
Questions
What are the moves of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation?
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Qf3. Its ECO code is C58.
Is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation good for White?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.44 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for Black. In 661 lichess games from our sample, White scored 52.8%. A greedy line for White that suits calculating players, but Black gets rich play by giving the exchange with ...cxb5.
What is the main idea of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense, Bogoljubow Variation?
White's queen pins the c6 pawn to the a8 rook. Black's best answer is ...cxb5, giving the exchange after Qxa8 for strong development and an attack on White's stray queen.
What should Black play next?
The engine's first choice is cxb5, with Be7 and Rb8 close behind. ...cxb5 takes the bishop and lets White grab the a8 rook, leaving White's queen far from its king.
Related lines
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Polerio Defense
- Bishop Check Line
- How to beat the Two Knights Defenseguide
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.