3. Bc4 (C50: Italian Game)
- This position can be reached by 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4.
- White intention is to attack Black weak pawn on f7 (only protected by Black King).
- Also, it assign White Bishop to guard d5 square (center square).
- Move last piece to facilitate castling on the kingside.
Black responses
3...Nf6 (C55: Two Knights Defense)
- Black counter attack by attacking White Pawn on e4.
- Also, it assign Black Knight to guard d5 square (center square).
- Beside it, Black move a piece which is required to castling on the kingside.
- By castling on the kingside, Black can bring his rook into f1 square and help the king to protect f7 pawn.
3...Bc5 (C50: Giuoco Piano)
- Black essentially copying White idea to attack weak pawn around the king.
- In Black perspective, weak pawn around king is f2 pawn. So Black attack f2 pawn while at the same time guard center square (d4 square).
- Beside it, Black also move a piece which is required to castling on the kingside.
- By castling on the kingside, Black can bring his rook into f1 square and help the king to protect f7 pawn.
3...d6 (C50: Paris Defense)
- Black give double protection to e5 pawn.
- This is preventive move prepared by Black, in case Black Knight had to move for some reason and must abandon duty to protect e5 pawn (Black still has d6 pawn to protect e5 pawn).
- Also, Black opened a way for c8 bishop to move out from back rank.
- The drawback is Black Pawn on d6 block f8 Bishop to move diagonal beyond e7.
3...Be7 (C50: Hungarian Defense)
- In the Italian Game, white usually launch double attack using bishop on c4 and knight on g5 to attack weak pawn on f7.
- In order to prevent that happening, therefore Black using Hungarian Defense to prevent White Knight move into g5 square.
- Also by using Hungarian Defense, The Bishop guard two diagonal (f1-a3 diagonal and d1-h4 diagonal)
3...Nd4 (C50: Black Burne-Shilling Gambit)
- Black idea of playing this move is to lure White into capturing Black pawn on e5.
- If White capture Black pawn on e5, then White fall into Black trap.
- Because after White playing 4.Nxe5?! (to capture Black pawn on e5), then Black play 4...Qg4 to fork White Knight on e5 and pawn on g2.
- The continuation of this line favored for Black.
- So, it’s recommended for White not to capture the Black Pawn on e5.
