Bargsten: The Italian Opening for WhitePlanning and strategic understanding The Italian Opening is one of the oldest in chess history, mentioned as early as the 15th entury, but is still a frequent guest today, even at the highest level, most recently in the 2021 world championship match between Magnus Carlsen and Ian Nepomniachtchi. Although the challenger lost this game, the use of the Italian Opening alone shows tat it's a serious weapon even among top grandmasters.