Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Hicken Variation

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.b5 Na5 6.Nxe5 Qg5 7.Qf3 Qxe5 8.Qxf7+ Kd8 9.Bb2

ECO C51

The Italian Game: Evans Gambit Declined, Hicken Variation is a chess opening line in the Italian Game complex, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4.b4 Bb6 5.b5 Na5 6.Nxe5 Qg5 7.Qf3 Qxe5 8.Qxf7+ Kd8 9.Bb2.

It is catalogued under code C51 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

The defining move Bb2 is chosen by White on move 9.

Study this line with a grandmaster

This position is covered in the Evans Gambit course: a GM-authored repertoire you study move by move, then practice against a human-like AI opponent.

Every chess term used here is defined in the chess terms glossary. Browse all opening courses or the full ECO code index.