The Italian Game: A Dynamic Repertoire for Black by GM Peng Li Min
The Quiet Italian Is No Longer Harmless
For decades, 4.d3 in the Italian Game was considered a peaceful choice. Today it is one of the main battlegrounds of elite chess. White keeps flexibility in the position, regroups slowly, and waits for the right moment to strike.
The real question for Black is not how to survive this slow pressure. It is how to build a setup that is stable enough to absorb it and flexible enough to counterattack. In The Italian Game: A Dynamic Repertoire for Black, GM Peng Li Min answers this with 3...Nf6 and 4...Be7.
A Setup Built on Three Clear Plans
The course is unique because it does not rely only on forcing lines. Instead, it gives Black one solid structure and three ways to play from it.
The first plan is fixing the queenside, so that White's a-pawn advances lose their effect. The second is the central break ...d5, which challenges White's pieces at the most useful moment. The third is a slower kingside plan: ...Kh8 and ...Ng8 or ...Nd7, preparing ...f5.
These plans repeat across the chapters, so you learn ideas rather than isolated move orders. The variations ahead show how each one is applied against White's different setups.
About the Author
GM Peng Li Min joins Modern Chess as a new author. Born in Ukraine, he earned the Grandmaster title in 2022 and has reached a peak FIDE rating of 2575.
Since 2024, he has represented Switzerland, playing on Board 3 at the Chess Olympiad in Budapest. Besides competing, he works actively as a trainer and theoretician, and this course reflects that practical background.
His reasoning for choosing 4...Be7 is simple. He sees it as a very reliable system against the Italian and a setup that can serve as a lifetime repertoire.
Map of Variations
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6
- 4.d4 and other 4th-move alternatives → Chapter 1
- 4.Ng5 → Chapter 2
- 4.d3 Be7
- 5.Bb3 and other rare 5th moves → Chapter 3
- 5.Nc3 d6 6.a3 (and 6.a4) → Chapter 4
- 5.0-0 0-0
- 6.a4 and other alternatives → Chapter 5
- 6.Re1 d6
- 7.c3 and rare 7th moves → Chapter 6
- 7.a4, preparing Ba2 and a4-a5 → Chapter 7
- 7.a3, a positional approach with Nc3 and Be3 → Chapter 8
- 6.Nc3 d6
- 7.a3, preparing d3-d4 at the right moment → Chapter 9
- 7.a4, the most challenging line → Chapter 10
The final chapter deserves special attention. Against 7.a4, GM Peng Li Min presents a setup that neutralizes White's initiative in the most testing line of the course.
An Answer to 1.e4 e5
This course has a companion. GM Peng Li Min also authored The Arkhangelsk: An Aggressive Repertoire for Black, which covers the Ruy Lopez.
Together, the two courses give Black a repertoire after 1.e4 e5 against both main openings. The Spanish brings sharp, aggressive play, while the Italian gives a solid and flexible structure.
Course Features
- 10 Chapters
- 20 Test positions
- Memory Booster
- To Go version of every chapter
- Video instruction
- Multilingual PGN availability (English, German, French, Spanish)
Build Your Italian Repertoire Today
If you want a reliable answer to the Italian Game, one built on clear plans and not just memorized lines, this course is the right place to start.
Get The Italian Game: A Dynamic Repertoire for Black today. Pair it with the Arkhangelsk course to cover both the Italian and the Ruy Lopez.
INTRODUCTION
SAMPLE CHAPTER
SAMPLE VIDEO