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
Origin	Rodzinski vs. Alekhine, Paris 1913
Named after	Italian Opening (Giuoco Piano)
Parent	Italian Game
Synonyms	Half Giuoco Piano[1][2] Lesser Giuoco Piano[3][2] Paris Defence[4][5]

TheSemi-Italian Opening (also known asHalf Giuoco Piano,Lesser Giuoco Piano, andParis Defence) is one ofBlack's responses to theItalian Game.^[6][7] It begins with the moves:

1.e4e5

2.Nf3Nc6

3.Bc4d6

Black's intent is to play aHungarian Defense with an early ...Bg4, fighting for control of the d4-square.^[6][8] Theline was tried byAlexander Alekhine early in his career.^[8][9] The first recorded use in international competition was in 1846.^{[citation needed]}I. A. Horowitz called the defence "solid", also writing: "It does not seem quite sufficient forequality."^[9]

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

• 4...Bg4 5.d4 Qe7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qb3 Nd8 8.Nbd2 g6 9.dxe5 and White was slightly better inGrigory Levenfish–Alexander Tolush, Leningrad 1939.^[7][8][10]
• 4...Qe7 5.d4 g6 or 5.0-0 g6 is satisfactory for Black (Alekhine).
• 4...Be6 is preferred bySavielly Tartakower.

After 4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 White has the freer game according toPaul Keres, and instead of 5...Nf6,Larry Evans has suggested 5...g6!?^[8] The move 4...Be7transposes to theHungarian Defense.

• 5.c3 and now:
  • 5...Qd7 and White has somespace advantage after either 6.d5 or 6.Bb5 (Keres), or 6.Be3 (Evans).^[8]
  • 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,^[7] for example 5...Bxf3 6.Qxf3 and now:
  • 6...Nf6 7.d5 (Wolfgang 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 inViktor Gavrikov–Evgeny Vladimirov, USSR 1978^[11] (Unzicker).

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 asharp game with balanced chances inViktor Kupreichik–Podgayets, USSR 1970.^[8][12]
• 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 (Gyula Sax–Borislav Ivkov, Amsterdam 1976^[13]) with an even game (Unzicker).^[14]

This transposes to the game Maslov–Anatoly Lutikov, USSR 1963,^[15] which continued 4...Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Nf6 7.Ne2 (or 7.d3) and White stands slightly better (Keres,Miroslav Filip).^[16] For 5...Bh5?, seeLégal Trap.

	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 vs. Alekhine, Paris 1913:^[7][8]

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

5.d4, theMain 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+ withperpetual check (Alekhine); or 12...e4 13.Na3 Ne5 14.Qxa7 Nd3+ 15.Kf1 with an even game according toVeniamin Sozin,^[8][17] but Blackforces 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 (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^[18]

• List of chess openings
• List of chess openings named after places
• Philidor Defence

Bibliography

• Harding, Tim;Botterill, G. S. (1977).The Italian Game.B. T. Batsford Limited.ISBN 0-7134-3261-6.
• Hooper, David;Whyld, Kenneth (1996) [First pub. 1992].The Oxford Companion to Chess (2nd ed.).Oxford University Press.ISBN 0-19-280049-3.
• Horowitz, I. A. (1964).Chess Openings: Theory and Practice.Simon & Schuster.ISBN 0-671-20553-6.{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
• Kasparov, Gary;Keene, Raymond (1982).Batsford Chess Openings. American Chess Promotions.ISBN 0-7134-2112-6.
• Matanović, Aleksandar, ed. (1981).Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. Vol. C (2nd ed.). Yugoslavia:Chess Informant.

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