Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening: what to play after d3?

In the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening (ECO C55), Black's most reliable and widely played continuation is Bc5. This natural developing move controls the center, targets the weak f2 diagonal, and maintains nearly equal chances against White's solid setup. Black can comfortably contest the initiative while completing kingside piece development.

Main Line Development with Bc5

Choosing Bc5 is the overwhelming favorite among tournament players, appearing in 64.2% of games (14M recorded) with an engine evaluation of +0.13. White scores 52.3% from this branch. An illustrative continuation demonstrating standard piece maneuvering is Bc5 c3 a6 a4 O-O Bg5, where White secures central space with a pawn advance while Black prepares to castle into safety.

Prophylactic Alternatives

Black also frequently employs preventative moves to restrict White's minor pieces. The second most popular choice is h6, played in 18.6% of games (3.96M recorded), carrying an evaluation of +0.17 and yielding a 52.3% score for White. This option leads to balanced maneuvering in lines such as h6 O-O Bc5 c3 Bb6 Nbd2. Alternatively, Black can opt for the modest a6, recorded in 1.6% of games (343K recorded) with an evaluation of +0.14 and a 57.7% score for White, as shown in a6 a4 Bc5 O-O d6 c3.

Solid Setups and Flank Options

A more reserved approach is Be7, chosen in 15.6% of games (3.33M recorded), which evaluates to +0.21 while holding White to a 50.4% score. The variation Be7 O-O d6 c3 O-O a4 reflects a classic, compact defensive structure. The engine also considers a5 (+0.25), which prompts sharper central clashes in the line a5 Ng5 d5 exd5 b5 Bxb5.