← Booster to 1000
Black vs 1.e4: the Italian mirror
As Black under 1000 you don't need a 'defence' — you need to get your pieces out safely and not fall for the three cheap attacks everyone tries (Scholar's mate, the Fried Liver, early queen raids). ...e5, ...Nc6, ...Bc5, ...Nf6, ...d6, castle does all of that, and it's the same Italian structure you play as White, so the middlegame plan is one you already know.
1. The setup as Black, move by move
Against the Italian itself. Notice the one crucial move-order rule: ...Bc5 BEFORE ...Nf6, which shuts the door on the Fried Liver attack.
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Press → (or the arrow) to play through the line. Every move has a reason — read it.