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Final position — Black is winning

Italian Game

Italian game, crush it!!

Black wins in 7 moves with a decisive material gain. (opening traps+ a little bonus - Italian game, crush it!! - C50 - https://lichess.org/@/MarinD2204)

The moves

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Nxe5 Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Qe2 Nxe2
1.e4e5
2.Nf3Nc6
3.Bc4Nd4
4.Nxe5Qg5
5.Nxf7Qxg2
6.Rf1Qxe4+
7.Qe2Nxe2

How the Italian game, crush it!! works

The Italian game, crush it!! is a classic chess opening trap arising from the Italian Game. In this line Black wins decisive material by move 7, punishing a natural-looking but losing idea from White.

The full sequence runs 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nd4 4.Nxe5 Qg5 5.Nxf7 Qxg2 6.Rf1 Qxe4+ 7.Qe2 Nxe2. Each move looks reasonable, which is exactly why the trap is so effective over the board — White walks into it while trying to play "normal" developing moves.

This pattern is well known from master and correspondence play (opening traps+ a little bonus - Italian game, crush it!! - C50 - https://lichess.org/@/MarinD2204). Recognising it early lets you either spring it as Black or sidestep it as White.

Practice this trap move-by-move

Open the Italian game, crush it!! in the Trapsterapp to play it out on a live board, drill it in practice mode, and learn how to avoid it when it's set for you — along with the full library of chess traps and gambits, fully offline.

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