Answers.Body: <h1>Book recommendations</h1>
  <p>On chess24 there was a very nice course by GM Ivan Šarić, however I don't know
  if it's still possible to get it today, due to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20240130151932/https://new.chess24.com/wall/news/chess24-to-close-on-january-31" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Chess.com closing down chess24</a> on 31. 1. 2024.</p>
  <p>I also liked <a href="https://www.newinchess.com/winning-with-the-slow-but-venomous-italian-5139" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Winning with the Slow (but Venomous!) Italian</a> by Georgios Souleidis and Karsten Müller.</p>
  <p>Let's focus first on the mainline with <strong>c3</strong> and <strong>d3</strong>.</p>
  <h1>Move orders</h1>
  <p>When learning Italian I found it helpful to start with learning how to
  punish Black for wrong move order (why cannot he play <strong>g6</strong> at this or that point,
  how to deal with <strong>f5</strong>, ...) and then going for topical plans.</p>
  <p>The hardest two move order issues for both players are timing of <strong>O-O</strong> and <strong>h3</strong>, <strong>h6</strong>.
  <strong>h3</strong> played too early can often be punished by <strong>h6-g5</strong> (if black didn't castle yet),
  while if not played it often allows <strong>Ng4</strong> shenaningans (targeting <em>f2</em>, which is weakened by <strong>Rfe1</strong>).</p>
  <h1>Symmetry</h1>
  <p>Note that in most classical positions there is a lot of symmetry:</p>
  <ul>
  <li>Bishop on <em>c4</em> - Bishop on <em>c5</em></li>
  <li>Knight on <em>f3</em> - Knight on <em>f6</em></li>
  <li>Pawn on <em>e4</em> - Pawn on <em>e5</em></li>
  </ul>
  <p>So plans are similiar for both sides. Concrete difference is that black has knight on <em>c6</em>,
  which is slightly misplaced, so he will have to reroute it, which gives white
  a small advantage in development. So Black main goal is to offset this development disadvantage
  and free his position with quick <strong>d5</strong>.</p>
  <p>There are of course other plans for black (for example with <strong>h6-g6-Bg7</strong>), the main alternative
  being setup with <strong>Be7</strong>: <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7</strong>. Black will play for
  quick <strong>d5</strong>, often gambiting this pawn. Play is similiar to Marshall in Ruy Lopez.</p>
  <h1>Topical plans for White</h1>
  <h2>Kingside attack</h2>
  <p>The most classical approach to quiet Italian for White and very effective even today,
  especially when combined with other plans. White is going to reroute his
  queenside knight to kingside (via <strong>Nbd2-Nf1-Ng3</strong> or <strong>-Ne3</strong>), so his knights will target
  very nice <strong>f5</strong> and <strong>h4</strong> squares.</p>
  <p>Rook lift is also very common: <strong>Rfe1-Re3-Rg3</strong> or <strong>-Rh3</strong> and queen is also quick to
  join the fray.</p>
  <h2>Central break</h2>
  <p>In quiet Italian you play <strong>c3-d3</strong> first, but you are still planning to go for <strong>d4</strong>
  later. When you push <strong>d4</strong> it often adds extra fuel to your kingside attack.</p>
  <p>Before you go for central break you need to reinforce your <em>e4-pawn</em> with moves
  like <strong>Bc4-Bb3-Bc2</strong> and <strong>Rfe1</strong> (which often needs to be prepared with <strong>h3</strong>, due to weakening of
  <em>f2</em>, which Black can often punish with <strong>Ng4</strong>).</p>
  <h2>Queenside expansion</h2>
  <p>This plan is more independent and more modern, but I think it's not strictly
  better or worse than upper two. You go for <strong>a4-a5</strong> or/and <strong>b4-b5</strong>. This has two
  pluses:</p>
  <ol>
  <li>Far advanced queenside pawns will be advantage in many endgames;</li>
  <li>If you get rid of your <em>c-pawn</em> (with <strong>d4</strong> pawn break), you have open <em>c-file</em>,
  targetting <em>c7</em>. Black cannot easily move his <em>c-pawn</em> if you have pawn on <em>b5</em>,
  so getting a rook on open <em>c-file</em> can be very efficient.</li>
  </ol>
  <h2>Opening up f-file</h2>
  <p>This plan is more common for Black side, but it's sometimes also useful for White.
  You play <strong>Be3</strong>, hoping that black will play <strong>Bxe3</strong> (otherwise you have a choice
  between keeping the tension and exhancing bishops yourself). After <strong>fxe3</strong> your position has two
  benefits:</p>
  <ol>
  <li>Open <em>f-file</em> is very useful for kingside attack;</li>
  <li>Your central pawn mass (<em>e3,e4,d3</em>) is very mobile. Doubled pawns on <em>e-file</em>
  practically guarante you easy <strong>d3-d4</strong> push.</li>
  </ol>
  <h1>Flexibility</h1>
  <p>I think the main benefit of Italian over other openings is that it's very flexible - there are a lot of sidelines and different move orders, so you can easily
  surpise your opponent, even if he prepared against you. For this to succeed though,
  you need to know some sidelines.</p>
  <p>The one I like most is <strong>1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5</strong>
  with idea of <strong>Nd5</strong>. At some point you will have to play <strong>Bxf6</strong>, losing bishop pair,
  however you will get <strong>d3-d4</strong> push in exchange almost &quot;for free&quot;. Positions can get
  a bit dry if black knows what he is doing though.</p>
  <h1>Hidden complexity</h1>
  <p>These slower Italian lines may at first glance appear more quiet and easier to play
  than older <strong>c3-d4</strong> lines. However they aren't simple at all. Inaccuracies can
  often be punished only tactically and kingside attack is always lurking just under the surface
  (even if you don't actively play for it). They are sharper than they look
  and passive play by Black often leads to quick tactical wins for White.</p>
  <p>What makes them truly complex though is subtle interaction between these main plans.
  You need to learn (and accurately evaluate) which plan is better in which position,
  which moves are good for multiple plans and which ones detriment particular plan (in favor of another).
  How to combine them, how to react appropriately to your opponent ideas?</p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-02-28T12:09:19.293Z
Answers.Text: Thanks for the recommendation and the blueprint laid down by you. Would you recommend "the modernised Italian game for white " by thinkers publishing 2021 and "The Italian rennaisance" 2020 over this book though seeing as how quickly the theory has developed here.
Answers.UserDisplayName: anti - Marshall
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-02-28T12:25:30.600Z
Answers.Text: @anti-Marshall I don't know these two books. Main plans should still be the same, while for recent theory changes it's almost always better to consult an up-to-date database than a book.
Answers.UserDisplayName: Matija Sirk
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 4.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2024-02-28T07:00:03.227Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2024-02-28T07:00:03.227Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Matija Sirk
Body: <p>What are some good books, courses, etc to learn the slow Italian with d3? I want to start playing the slow Italian with d3 as it keeps lots of pieces on the board and leads to rich middle games and am looking for resources to learn the opening</p>
  
Tags: <opening><books><recommendations><italian-game>
Title: Resources on the closed Italian
ThreadText: # Resources on the closed Italian
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2024-02-28)
  
  What are some good books, courses, etc to learn the slow Italian with d3? I want to start playing the slow Italian with d3 as it keeps lots of pieces on the board and leads to rich middle games and am looking for resources to learn the opening
  
  **Tags:** opening, books, recommendations, italian-game
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2024-02-28. Score: 1
  
  # Book recommendations
  
  On chess24 there was a very nice course by GM Ivan Šarić, however I don't know
  if it's still possible to get it today, due to [Chess.com closing down chess24](https://web.archive.org/web/20240130151932/https://new.chess24.com/wall/news/chess24-to-close-on-january-31) on 31. 1. 2024.
  
  I also liked [Winning with the Slow (but Venomous!) Italian](https://www.newinchess.com/winning-with-the-slow-but-venomous-italian-5139) by Georgios Souleidis and Karsten Müller.
  
  Let's focus first on the mainline with **c3** and **d3**.
  
  # Move orders
  
  When learning Italian I found it helpful to start with learning how to
  punish Black for wrong move order (why cannot he play **g6** at this or that point,
  how to deal with **f5**, ...) and then going for topical plans.
  
  The hardest two move order issues for both players are timing of **O-O** and **h3**, **h6**.
  **h3** played too early can often be punished by **h6-g5** (if black didn't castle yet),
  while if not played it often allows **Ng4** shenaningans (targeting *f2*, which is weakened by **Rfe1**).
  
  # Symmetry
  
  Note that in most classical positions there is a lot of symmetry:
  
  * Bishop on *c4* - Bishop on *c5*
  * Knight on *f3* - Knight on *f6*
  * Pawn on *e4* - Pawn on *e5*
  
  So plans are similiar for both sides. Concrete difference is that black has knight on *c6*,
  which is slightly misplaced, so he will have to reroute it, which gives white
  a small advantage in development. So Black main goal is to offset this development disadvantage
  and free his position with quick **d5**.
  
  There are of course other plans for black (for example with **h6-g6-Bg7**), the main alternative
  being setup with **Be7**: **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7**. Black will play for
  quick **d5**, often gambiting this pawn. Play is similiar to username_0 in Ruy Lopez.
  
  # Topical plans for White
  
  ## Kingside attack
  
  The most classical approach to quiet Italian for White and very effective even today,
  especially when combined with other plans. White is going to reroute his
  queenside knight to kingside (via **Nbd2-Nf1-Ng3** or **-Ne3**), so his knights will target
  very nice **f5** and **h4** squares.
  
  Rook lift is also very common: **Rfe1-Re3-Rg3** or **-Rh3** and queen is also quick to
  join the fray.
  
  ## Central break
  
  In quiet Italian you play **c3-d3** first, but you are still planning to go for **d4**
  later. When you push **d4** it often adds extra fuel to your kingside attack.
  
  Before you go for central break you need to reinforce your *e4-pawn* with moves
  like **Bc4-Bb3-Bc2** and **Rfe1** (which often needs to be prepared with **h3**, due to weakening of
  *f2*, which Black can often punish with **Ng4**).
  
  ## Queenside expansion
  
  This plan is more independent and more modern, but I think it's not strictly
  better or worse than upper two. You go for **a4-a5** or/and **b4-b5**. This has two
  pluses:
  
  1. Far advanced queenside pawns will be advantage in many endgames;
  2. If you get rid of your *c-pawn* (with **d4** pawn break), you have open *c-file*,
     targetting *c7*. Black cannot easily move his *c-pawn* if you have pawn on *b5*,
     so getting a rook on open *c-file* can be very efficient.
  
  ## Opening up f-file
  
  This plan is more common for Black side, but it's sometimes also useful for White.
  You play **Be3**, hoping that black will play **Bxe3** (otherwise you have a choice
  between keeping the tension and exhancing bishops yourself). After **fxe3** your position has two
  benefits:
  
  1. Open *f-file* is very useful for kingside attack;
  2. Your central pawn mass (*e3,e4,d3*) is very mobile. Doubled pawns on *e-file*
     practically guarante you easy **d3-d4** push.
  
  # Flexibility
  
  I think the main benefit of Italian over other openings is that it's very flexible - there are a lot of sidelines and different move orders, so you can easily
  surpise your opponent, even if he prepared against you. For this to succeed though,
  you need to know some sidelines.
  
  The one I like most is **1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. Nc3 d6 6. Bg5**
  with idea of **Nd5**. At some point you will have to play **Bxf6**, losing bishop pair,
  however you will get **d3-d4** push in exchange almost "for free". Positions can get
  a bit dry if black knows what he is doing though.
  
  # Hidden complexity
  
  These slower Italian lines may at first glance appear more quiet and easier to play
  than older **c3-d4** lines. However they aren't simple at all. Inaccuracies can
  often be punished only tactically and kingside attack is always lurking just under the surface
  (even if you don't actively play for it). They are sharper than they look
  and passive play by Black often leads to quick tactical wins for White.
  
  What makes them truly complex though is subtle interaction between these main plans.
  You need to learn (and accurately evaluate) which plan is better in which position,
  which moves are good for multiple plans and which ones detriment particular plan (in favor of another).
  How to combine them, how to react appropriately to your opponent ideas?
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_0**: Thanks for the recommendation and the blueprint laid down by you. Would you recommend "the modernised Italian game for white " by thinkers publishing 2021 and "The Italian rennaisance" 2020 over this book though seeing as how quickly the theory has developed here.  
  > **username_1**: @username_0-username_0 I don't know these two books. Main plans should still be the same, while for recent theory changes it's almost always better to consult an up-to-date database than a book.  
  
  ---
  
  