Italian Game vs Ruy Lopez: Which Is Better for Intermediate Players?

TL;DR

Short answer	Learn the Italian first. Add the Ruy Lopez once you're around 1600 and want a deeper long-term weapon.
Games behind this article	About 189 million Lichess games: Italian Game (about 131 million at 1000 to 1600) and Ruy Lopez Closed (about 58 million at 1600 to 2400)
Italian, Black's move 3	3...Nf6 31.7% · 3...Bc5 27.8% · 3...h6 18.1% · 3...d6 6.9% · 3...Nd4 5.1% (1000 to 1600)
Ruy Lopez, Black's move 3	3...a6 31.3% · 3...d6 21.7% · Berlin 3...Nf6 16.1% · 3...Bc5 12.9% (1600 to 2400)
Lichess results	Italian, 1000 to 1600: players who fall for the Blackburne Shilling trap with 4.Nxe5?? lose 75% of those games. Ruy Lopez, 1600 to 2400: after 3...Bc5 4.c3 d6 5.d4 exd4 6.cxd4 Bb4+, White wins 69% with 7.Kf1 against 55% with 7.Nc3.
Recommended range	Italian 1000 to 1600 Elo (20 lines). Ruy Lopez Closed 1600 to 2400 Elo (23 lines).

Both openings start with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6. The Italian plays 3.Bc4, the Ruy Lopez 3.Bb5.

Same start, different bishop

Both openings begin with the most natural moves in chess. The whole difference is where White's light-squared bishop goes on move three.

In the Italian, the bishop aims at f7, the weakest point in Black's camp at the start of the game. It's direct and easy to understand.

In the Ruy Lopez, the bishop hits the knight on c6, which is the piece defending e5. White isn't threatening to win the pawn yet, but the pressure is always there in the background, and it shapes the whole game.

What playing the Italian looks like

Modern Italian play is much calmer than its reputation. At 1000 to 1600 on Lichess, Black's most common reply to 3.Bc4 is 3...Nf6, the Two Knights Defense (31.7%), and our trainer meets it quietly: protect e4 with d3, castle, add c3 and h3, and only then decide where to break.

A quiet Italian setup with d3, c3 and h3. Flexible, and full of tension.

This slow treatment is called the Giuoco Pianissimo, "the very quiet game". The idea is to keep all your options: d4 later, a kingside push with Nbd2-f1-g3, or a queenside expansion with a4 and b4. The little move h3 takes g4 away from Black's bishop and knight, so ...Bg4 pins and ...Ng4 jumps at f2 are off the table.

The Italian also has sharp corners. Against 3...Bc5 (27.8%), our trainer goes the direct way with 4.c3 Nf6 5.d4, the Giuoco Piano, and its main line with 7.Nc3 is sharp. The slow 3...h6 (18.1%) is met by opening the center at once with 4.d4. And 3...Nd4 is the Blackburne Shilling trap: about 26% of players at this level grab the pawn with 4.Nxe5??, and they lose 75% of those games on Lichess.

What makes the Italian good for improving players is that the plans are visible. You can see what each piece is doing, and mistakes by either side tend to be tactical and punishable, which is how you learn.

What playing the Ruy Lopez looks like

The Ruy Lopez is a slow squeeze. Black usually kicks the bishop with ...a6 and ...b5, White's bishop drops back to b3, and a long maneuvering fight begins.

The Closed Ruy Lopez after 9.h3. Black now picks one of several big systems.

This position is one of the most studied in chess. Black picks between named systems such as the Chigorin 9...Na5, the Breyer 9...Nb8 and the Zaitsev 9...Bb7, each with its own plans and move orders. Our trainer stops at 9.h3, because at 1600 to 2400 on Lichess Black steers away much earlier in most games. After 3.Bb5, only 31.3% play 3...a6. The Steinitz 3...d6 (21.7%), the Berlin Defense 3...Nf6 (16.1%) and 3...Bc5 (12.9%) all need an answer. And in the main line, Black castles on move seven in 62.6% of games. After 8.c3, 67.5% of those players go for the Marshall Attack with 8...d5, a pawn sacrifice for a lasting attack.

That depth is why the Ruy Lopez covers 40 separate ECO codes (C60 to C99), one of the largest ranges of any opening. It's also why so many world champions have relied on it. The positions reward long-term understanding: where each piece belongs, when to play d4, how to use the extra space.

Head to head

So which should an intermediate player choose?

For most intermediate players, especially below about 1600, the Italian is the better choice right now. You get sound positions, clear plans and fewer ways for Black to drag you into deep preparation. Our Italian trainer is 20 lines, built from the replies players at 1000 to 1600 actually choose on Lichess, and the quiet d3 setup means you'll reach familiar structures over and over.

The Ruy Lopez makes sense once you're around 1600 and you've started to enjoy long positional games. The good news is that the switch is easier than it looks. The Giuoco Pianissimo teaches the same maneuvers the Closed Ruy uses, so time spent on the Italian isn't wasted when you move up.

The worst option is picking the Ruy Lopez because top players use it, then getting caught in a Marshall Attack or a Berlin endgame you don't understand. At club level, the player who knows their opening better usually gets the better position, and the Italian makes that far easier to achieve.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Italian Game or the Ruy Lopez better?
Neither is better in an absolute sense. Both are fully sound and both are played at the top level. The Italian is easier to learn and better for most players under about 1600. The Ruy Lopez has more depth and rewards long-term study.

Is the Ruy Lopez too hard for beginners?
It's playable at any level, but the full Ruy Lopez needs answers to the Marshall, the Berlin and four big closed systems. That's why our Ruy Lopez trainer is built for 1600 to 2400, while the Italian trainer is built for 1000 to 1600.

Do top players still play the Italian Game?
Yes. The slow Giuoco Pianissimo with c3 and d3 is one of the main weapons at elite level. Our Italian trainer, built for 1000 to 1600, uses the same quiet d3 setup against the Two Knights (3...Nf6), the most common reply at that level on Lichess (31.7%).

What is the most common Black system in the Closed Ruy Lopez?
After 9.h3, the three big systems are the Chigorin (9...Na5), the Breyer (9...Nb8) and the Zaitsev (9...Bb7). Our Ruy Lopez trainer stops at 9.h3, so we don't have frequencies for them. What our data does show at 1600 to 2400 on Lichess is that the Marshall is very common: after 7.Bb3 Black castles in 62.6% of games, and after 8.c3, 67.5% of those players answer 8...d5.

Copy the lines (PGN)

Every line in this article in standard PGN, ready to paste into Lichess, Chess.com or any chess database.

[Event "Italian Game vs Ruy Lopez: Which Is Better for Intermediate Players?: Italian, Giuoco Pianissimo"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 Nf6 5. d3 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. Re1 a6 8. Bb3 Ba7 9. h3 *

[Event "Italian Game vs Ruy Lopez: Which Is Better for Intermediate Players?: Ruy Lopez, Closed to 9.h3"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 *

[Event "Italian Game vs Ruy Lopez: Which Is Better for Intermediate Players?: Ruy Lopez, Chigorin"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3 Na5 10. Bc2 c5 11. d4 *

[Event "Italian Game vs Ruy Lopez: Which Is Better for Intermediate Players?: Ruy Lopez, Marshall Attack"]
[Site "chesscoachacademy.com"]
[Result "*"]

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 O-O 8. c3 d5 9. exd5 Nxd5 10. Nxe5 Nxe5 11. Rxe5 c6 *

Keep reading

• The Italian Game Is a Quiet Opening With Loud Moments: The sharp moments hiding inside the slow Italian, and the mistakes they cause.
• What Is the Best Defense Against 1.e4?: The same question from Black's side, including the Petroff and other answers to 1.e4 e5.

Practice the opening you picked

Our Italian Game trainer covers 20 lines built from what 1000 to 1600 rated players actually play on Lichess, including the Two Knights, 3...h6 and the Blackburne Shilling trap. When you're ready for the next step, the Ruy Lopez trainer covers 23 lines for 1600 to 2400, including the Marshall Attack, the Berlin, 3...d6 and 3...Bc5. Each move comes with a short note explaining why it's played.

Both trainers are free during the open beta, and your progress on each line is tracked for free once you sign up.

Practice the Italian Game →
Practice the Ruy Lopez →