Italian Game Powerbook 2026

Italian is all the rage and has established itself as an equally valid alternative to the Spanish Defence. To be more precise, one should say the Italian Defence (3.Bc4 Bc5) and the Two Knights Defense (3.Bc4 Nf6), as well as all other variations following 3.Bc4. In recent years, the move 3.Bc4 has enjoyed an enormous resurgence. World-class players such as Magnus Carlsen, Hikaru Nakamura, Fabiano Caruana, Javokhir Sindarov and Wesley play this classic opening with both colours. Anyone wishing to include the Italian Game in their repertoire – whether playing White or Black – can gain a significant advantage with this special Powerbook. It is based, particularly in the variations featuring the calm d3, c3 development (Giuoco Pianissimo), on a vast number of games, making the book a veritable treasure trove. The early ...a5, which Wesley So covers extensively on his ChessBase DVD, is featured in the Powerbook in various variations and with five- to six-figure numbers of variations. The increasingly popular Lg5 in the opening stage can also be studied effectively thanks to the vast number of variations.