The sharpest Italian with an early Bg5 in 60Min, Nico Zwirs (English)

In “The sharpest Italian” you will find a concrete plan for the Italian. Normally, the Italian is also called ‘Giuoco piano’. Which is literally translated ‘the quiet game’. In The sharpest Italian white will play an early Bg5 and most often black replies with …h6, Bh4 g5. Because of this, black’s king is open, and they don’t have a clear spot for their king. In return the bishop is temporarily locked up on g3. The author once managed to beat a grandmaster in just 16 moves with this line. This is obviously his quickest win against a grandmaster ever. Since most of the lines look very similar to each other, it is relatively easy to remember them. In general, white has the same plan, which is freeing the g3 bishop or launching an attack on the queenside. This repertoire is perfect for players who are a bit bored with facing 1.e4 e5 and like to attack. It can also be a perfect back-up weapon to use in must-win games. More