Worksheet: Italian Setup Basics

Build a safe white setup with e4, Nf3, Bc4, and castling.

Why This Matters

• The Italian setup teaches natural development: center pawn, knight, bishop, and castling.
• This setup creates fast king safety and active pieces without memorizing many lines.
• The plan is to finish development first, then look for tactics.

Practice Tasks

1. Fill in the next white move: e4, Nf3, ____.
2. Why is castling important in this setup?
3. Play 8 moves and check if all minor pieces are developed.

Board Evolution (One Step per Board)

Answer Key

1. Typical move: Bc4.
2. Castling protects the king and connects rooks.
3. Goal: both knights and both bishops developed early.