Italian Game · As Black · updated October 2026
Play against the Italian Game like Kazybek Nogerbek
A repertoire against the Italian Game built from 38 of Kazybek Nogerbek's public Chess.com blitz games. At every position you play the move Kazybek Nogerbek chose most often. Where Kazybek Nogerbek has fewer than 3 games, the course takes the other top-50 players' most played move, then Stockfish's. Learn a line on the board, then each position comes back in a short daily review until it sticks.
Not affiliated with or endorsed by Kazybek Nogerbek or Chess.com.
- Kazybek Nogerbek was #50 in Chess.com blitz in October 2026 (3,202) and scored 71% against opponents averaging 2,929 in these games.
- You play Kazybek Nogerbek's own move in 7 of 40 positions.
- The whole course is free, and it is updated monthly.
Train lines
Learn a new line move by move. Lines due for review go to your daily review first.
Free · first 5 lines need no account
Blitz rank
#50
Chess.com
Rating
3,202
Games
38
in this opening
Score
71%
in these games
Opponents
2,929
average rating
Lines to learn
- Next
Line 1 · 20% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 a5 6.a4 O-O
- New
Line 2 · 10% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 a5 6.Bb3 O-O
- New
Line 3 · 8% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nc3 a6 6.O-O d6 7.a4 O-O
- New
Line 4 · 8% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nc3 a6 6.O-O d6 7.h3 Na5
- New
Line 5 · 8% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.h3 h6 7.Be3 Bxe3
- New
Line 6 · 5% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 a5 6.O-O d6 7.Bg5 Ba7 8.Na3 h6
- New
Line 7 · 5% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 a5 6.O-O d6 7.a4 O-O
- New
Line 8 · 4% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 d6 7.Bxc5 dxc5 8.Nd5 Be6 9.Nxf6+ Qxf6 10.Bxe6 Qxe6 11.O-O O-O-O 12.Ng5 Qg6
- New
Line 9 · 4% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.Nc3 a6 6.Be3 d6 7.a4 Bxe3
- New
Line 10 · 4% at top level
3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 a5 7.Re1 O-O 8.h3 h6 9.Nbd2 Be6
- New
Line 11 · 3% at top level
3…Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 Nd5 9.Nf3 Bd6 10.O-O O-O 11.Re1 f5 12.Nxe5 Qf6 13.Nf3 g5
- New
Line 12 · 3% at top level
3…Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.d3 h6 7.Nf3 e4
Ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. Learned lines join your daily review.
Kazybek Nogerbek's main line against the Italian Game, move by move
The most common line at top level: 3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 a5 6.a4 O-O.
- 3…Nf6 Your move · Kazybek Nogerbek's games Kazybek Nogerbek played 3…Nf6 in 32 games, scoring 70%.
- 4.d3 Reply · Kazybek Nogerbek's games A common reply here is 4.d3. At top level, this comes up about 88% of the time.
- 4…Bc5 Your move · Kazybek Nogerbek's games Kazybek Nogerbek played 4…Bc5 in 11 games, scoring 91%.
- 5.c3 Reply · Kazybek Nogerbek's games A common reply here is 5.c3. At top level, this comes up about 40% of the time.
- 5…a5 Your move · Kazybek Nogerbek's games Kazybek Nogerbek played 5…a5 in 4 games, scoring 75%.
- 6.a4 Reply · Kazybek Nogerbek's games A common reply here is 6.a4. At top level, this comes up about 20% of the time.
- 6…O-O Your move · Stockfish The games give no move to follow here, so this is Stockfish's choice.
Questions about this course
- How does Kazybek Nogerbek play against the Italian Game?
- After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4, Kazybek Nogerbek's most common line is 3…Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.c3 a5 6.a4 O-O. At top level it comes up about 20% of the time.
- Is this Kazybek Nogerbek's course?
- No. ChessDrills builds it automatically from Kazybek Nogerbek's public Chess.com blitz games.
- What is this Italian Game course based on?
- 38 of Kazybek Nogerbek's Chess.com blitz games in the Italian Game as Black, against opponents with an average rating of 2,929. Kazybek Nogerbek scored 71% in them.
- How many lines does the course have?
- 12 lines covering 40 positions, ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. The first 5 lines need no account; saving your progress with an email unlocks the rest, free.
- Who is Kazybek Nogerbek?
- GM Kazybek Nogerbek was ranked number 50 on the Chess.com blitz leaderboard with a rating of 3,202 when this course was built.