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Semi-Italian Opening

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6

ECO

C50

Named after

• Italian Opening (Giuoco Piano)
• Rodzinski vs. Alekhine, Paris 1913

Parent

Italian Game

Synonym(s)

Lesser Giuoco Piano
Half Giuoco Piano
Paris Defence

The Semi-Italian Opening (also called Lesser Giuoco Piano, Half Giuoco Piano, and Paris Defence) is one of Black's responses to the Italian Game. It begins with the moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 d6

Black's intent is to play a Hungarian Defense with an early ...Bg4, fighting for control of the d4-square. The line was tried by Alexander Alekhine early in his career. The first recorded use in international competition was in 1846. Horowitz called the defence "solid", also writing: "It does not seem quite sufficient for equality."

The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings code for the Semi-Italian is C50.

Lines

Main line: 4.c3

4...Bg4 5.d4 Qe7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qb3 Nd8 8.Nbd2 g6 9.dxe5 and White was slightly better in Levenfish-Tolush, Leningrad 1939 (Black won).
4...Qe7 5.d4 g6 or 5.0-0 g6 is satisfactory for Black (Alekhine).
4...Be6 is preferred by Tartakower.

4.d4

4... Bg4 (after 4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 White has the freer game according to Keres; instead of 5...Nf6, Evans has suggested 5...g6!?) and now:

5. c3 and now:
- 5...Qd7 and White has some space advantage after either 6.d5 or 6.Bb5 (Keres), or 6.Be3 (Evans).
- 5...Nf6 6.Qb3 with a clear advantage for White (Keres).
- 5...Qf6 6.Be3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 with some advantage for White (Keres).
- 5...Qe7 transposes to the Main line.
5. h3! and White is slightly better, for example: 5... Bxf3 6. Qxf3 and now:
- 6...Nf6 7.d5 (Unzicker).
- 6...Qf6 7.Qb3 Nd8 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Be3 Bd6 10.Nc3 Ne7 11.Nb5 a6 12.Nxd6 Qxd6 13.0-0 Qc6 14.f4! and White had the attack in Gavrikov-Vladimirov, USSR 1978 (Unzicker).

4.h3

White prevents Black's thematic Bg4. The reply 4.h3 leads to lines similar to the Hungarian Defense, for example 4... Be7 5. d4 and now:

5...Nf6 6.d5 Nb8 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Be3 a5 9.g4!? (Keres preferred 9.c4) Na6 10.Qd2 c6 11.c4 Nd7 12.Nc3 Ndc5 leading to a sharp game with balanced chances in Kupreichik-Podgayets, USSR 1970.
5...Nxd4 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qh5 g6 8.Qd5 Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Bxe6 fxe6 11.Qc6+ Kf7 12.Nd2 Qd7 13.Qc4 c5 14.0-0 d5 (Sax-Ivkov, Amsterdam 1976) with an even game (Unzicker).

4.Nc3

This transposes to the game Maslov-Lutikov, USSR 1963, which continued 4...Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Nf6 7.Ne2 (or 7.d3) and White stands slightly better (Keres, Filip).

Notable games

	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h
8									8
7									7
6									6
5									5
4									4
3									3
2									2
1									1
	a	b	c	d	e	f	g	h

Position after 11.f3

Rodzinski versus Alekhine, Paris 1913:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6 4. c3 Bg4 5. Qb3!?

5.d4, the Main line, is better.

5... Qd7 6. Ng5?!

6.Bxf7+ Qxf7 7.Qxb7 Kd7 8.Qxa8 Bxf3 9.gxf3 Qxf3 10.Rg1 Qxe4+ 11.Kd1 Qf3+ 12.Ke1 Qe4+ with perpetual check (Alekhine); or 12...e4 13.Na3 Ne5 14.Qxa7 Nd3+ 15.Kf1 with an even game according to Sozin, but Black has a forced mate with 15...Qd1+ 16.Kg2 Nf4+ 17.Kg3 Qf3+ 18.Kh4 Qh3+ 19.Kg5 Ne6#.

6... Nh6 7. Nxf7 Nxf7 8. Bxf7+ Qxf7 9. Qxb7 Kd7 10. Qxa8 Qc4 11. f3 (see diagram) Bxf3! 12. gxf3 Nd4 13. d3?

13.cxd4 Qxc1+ with clear advantage for Black.

13... Qxd3 14. cxd4 Be7 15. Qxh8 Bh4# 0-1

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