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Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal

5.1M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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4...Bc5
Analyze this line move by move

Black expected score · All ratings · All speeds

48.8%

45%55%
Floor48.7%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. Its best is the same figure — the band is too tight to plot.

Measured over 5.1M games at this level and clock.

Playablewins about as often as it loses at this level

Roughly even — the middlegame decides more than this opening choice does.

Outcomes for Black

Draw 3.9 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 5.1M games

Rank among the families Black can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
5.1M
Best context
51.4% at 1200-1399 UltraBullet
Worst context
46.0% at 2500+ Blitz
Average game length
32 moves
Games that end decisively
96.1%
Draws
3.9%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

How to Beat This (Move 3)

Best: 3...Bc5 · Black wins: 47.5% · 3.9M games

Where it holds · Black score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for Black, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It holds about the same all the way up, near 50.8%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.1% expected score (221 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 49.5% expected score (84,021 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 49.6% expected score (154,296 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 49.9% expected score (94,074 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 51.0% expected score (585 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 49.2% expected score (480 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 48.2% expected score (170,907 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 48.8% expected score (372,500 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (194,133 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 47.9% expected score (3,268 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 51.4% expected score (507 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 48.0% expected score (228,450 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 48.5% expected score (555,240 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 49.1% expected score (289,854 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.1% expected score (9,026 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 48.3% expected score (379 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (231,555 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 48.4% expected score (573,099 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 49.2% expected score (305,108 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.4% expected score (15,089 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 45.8% expected score (93 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 48.4% expected score (187,495 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 48.6% expected score (460,768 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 48.8% expected score (218,892 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 49.4% expected score (11,966 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 47.8% expected score (21 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 48.6% expected score (135,199 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 49.0% expected score (293,218 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (111,601 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 50.3% expected score (3,877 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 20.6% expected score (7 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 48.8% expected score (75,933 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 49.3% expected score (131,070 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 49.6% expected score (34,926 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 50.5% expected score (827 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 61.2% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 48.7% expected score (44,541 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 47.6% expected score (47,634 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 48.4% expected score (6,816 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 43.8% expected score (127 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 47.3% expected score (12,687 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 46.0% expected score (8,482 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 46.7% expected score (874 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 48.3% expected score (143 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Italian Game
55.0%
Variations (5)
Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense
51.3%
Italian Game: Paris Defense
50.2%
Italian Game: Giuoco Piano
47.0%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening
50.6%
Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights Variation
50.6%
Analyze Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal scores 48.8% for Black — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 48.7% and 48.8% — from 5.1M Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
5.1M+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate?

Playing the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal, Black wins 46.8%, draws 3.9% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 5.1M rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal perform best?

The Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal performs best for Black at 0-999, with an Expected Score of 49.7% (333K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal better in blitz or rapid?

For Black, the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal scores about the same in both: an Expected Score of 48.7% in Blitz (2.6M games) against 49.2% in Rapid (1.3M games).

How sharp is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal?

The Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal has a sharpness score of 96.1 (very decisive), meaning 96.1% of games end decisively. Average game length is 32 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, Black wins 48.0%, draws 3.3% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.7%. It rests on 333K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, Black wins 47.1%, draws 3.3% and loses 49.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.8%. It rests on 741K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, Black wins 46.8%, draws 3.4% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 1.1M Lichess games, which average 31 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, Black wins 46.8%, draws 3.6% and loses 49.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 1.1M Lichess games, which average 33 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, Black wins 46.6%, draws 4.0% and loses 49.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.6%. It rests on 879K Lichess games, which average 34 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, Black wins 46.8%, draws 4.5% and loses 48.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.1%. It rests on 544K Lichess games, which average 36 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, Black wins 46.8%, draws 4.8% and loses 48.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 243K Lichess games, which average 37 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, Black wins 45.3%, draws 5.7% and loses 49.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.2%. It rests on 99K Lichess games, which average 39 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, Black wins 37.3%, draws 19.0% and loses 43.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 46.8%. It rests on 22K Lichess games, which average 45 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, Black wins 49.6%, draws 0.7% and loses 49.7%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 50.0%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, Black wins 47.1%, draws 2.7% and loses 50.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.4%. It rests on 1.2M Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, Black wins 46.7%, draws 4.0% and loses 49.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 48.7%. It rests on 2.6M Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, Black wins 46.9%, draws 4.5% and loses 48.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.2%. It rests on 1.3M Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal win rate in Classical?

In Classical, Black wins 46.8%, draws 5.4% and loses 47.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 49.5%. It rests on 45K Lichess games.

Is the Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal a good opening?

The Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal is about level. Across all ratings, Black wins 46.8% of its games and loses 49.3%. It performs best at 0-999. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.