Italian Game:Scotch Gambit

It is reached after 9 moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O. It is a line of the Italian Game.

Black is to move and has 30 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 1,382,081 different games. Those games reach 462,484 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 17 further lines after this position, such as Max Lange Attack (5... Bc5) and Double Gambit Accepted (5... Nxe4).

The same moves can be played in 120 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. Nf3 e5 2. e4 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O, which starts as the Zukertort Opening.