The Giuoco Piano by Lorin D'Costa, Nick Murphy

The Giuoco Piano (Italian for “quiet game”) is the oldest recorded chess opening, appearing as one of 12 chess openings detailed in the Göttingen manuscript over five hundred years ago. It is popular with juniors and chess novices, as the basic ideas of this opening are simple to understand: rapid development, control of the centre, and an attack on the vulnerable f7-square. However, this reputation belies its sophisticated and fearsome nature, and it is played even today by many of the world’s top players, including World Champion Vishy Anand and Magnus Carlsen.