Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fegatello Attack, Leonhardt Variation
In the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fegatello Attack, Leonhardt Variation, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fegatello Attack, Leonhardt Variation is a chess opening classified under ECO code C57. It is reached after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Nxf7 Kxf7 7. Qf3+ Ke6 8. Nc3 Nb4 9. Qe4 c6 10. a3 Na6 11. d4 Nc7: 22 moves in, with White to play.
It belongs to the Italian Game family — one of many ways the line can branch. Understanding the parent system’s plans is the fastest way to play this variation well.
Club players rarely lose the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Fegatello Attack, Leonhardt Variation in the opening itself. They lose it a few moves later, when the plan behind the moves runs out: that is what reading your own games in this line shows you.