Semi-Italian Opening

The Semi-Italian Opening is one of Black in chess|Black]'s responses to the Italian Game. It begins with the moves:
Black's intent is to play a Hungarian Defense with an early...Bg4, fighting for control of the d4-square. The line was tried by Alexander Alekhine early in his career. The first recorded use in international competition was in 1846. I. A. Horowitz called the defence "", also writing: "It does not seem quite sufficient for."
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings code for the Semi-Italian is C50.

Lines

Main line: 4.c3

4...Bg4 5.d4 Qe7 6.Be3 Nf6 7.Qb3 Nd8 8.Nbd2 g6 9.dxe5 and White was slightly better in Grigory Levenfish–Alexander Tolush, Leningrad 1939.
4...Qe7 5.d4 g6 or 5.0-0 g6 is satisfactory for Black.
4...Be6 is preferred by Savielly Tartakower.

4.d4 Bg4

After 4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.Nc3 White has the freer game according to Paul Keres, and instead of 5...Nf6, Larry Evans has suggested 5...g6 The move 4...Be7 transposes to the Hungarian Defense.

5.c3 and now:
* 5...Qd7 and White has some after either 6.d5 or 6.Bb5, or 6.Be3.
* 5...Nf6 6.Qb3 with a clear advantage for White.
* 5...Qf6 6.Be3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 with some advantage for White.
* 5...Qe7 transposes to the Main line.
5.h3 and White is slightly better, for example 5...Bxf3 6.Qxf3 and now:
* 6...Nf6 7.d5.
* 6...Qf6 7.Qb3 Nd8 8.dxe5 dxe5 9.Be3 Bd6 10.Nc3 Ne7 11.Nb5 a6 12.Nxd6 Qxd6 13.0-0 Qc6 14.f4! and White had the attack in Viktor Gavrikov–Evgeny Vladimirov, USSR 1978.

4.h3

White prevents Black's thematic...Bg4. The reply 4.h3 leads to lines similar to the Hungarian Defense, for example 4...Be7 5.d4 and now:

5...Nf6 6.d5 Nb8 7.Bd3 0-0 8.Be3 a5 9.g4!? Na6 10.Qd2 c6 11.c4 Nd7 12.Nc3 Ndc5 leading to a game with balanced chances in Viktor Kupreichik–Podgayets, USSR 1970.
5...Nxd4 6.Nxd4 exd4 7.Qh5 g6 8.Qd5 Be6 9.Qxb7 Nf6 10.Bxe6 fxe6 11.Qc6+ Kf7 12.Nd2 Qd7 13.Qc4 c5 14.0-0 d5 with an even game.

4.Nc3

This transposes to the game Maslov–Anatoly Lutikov, USSR 1963, which continued 4...Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 Nf6 7.Ne2 and White stands slightly better. For 5...Bh5, see Légal Trap.

Notable games

Rodzinski vs. Alekhine, Paris 1913:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 d6 4. c3 Bg4 5. Qb3
5... Qd7 6. Ng5
6... Nh6 7. Nxf7 Nxf7 8. Bxf7+ Qxf7 9. Qxb7 Kd7 10. Qxa8 Qc4 11. f3 '''Bxf3 12. gxf3 Nd4 13. d3
13... Qxd3 14. cxd4 Be7 15. Qxh8 Bh4# '''