Italian Game Books

Heyya!

I would like to look into getting a few books on the Italian Game which look into:

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 (2 knights defence knight attack)

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5 4. c3 (Classical Variation)

Any reccommendations would be great!!

Two Knights Defence by Palkovi and Italian Game and Evans Gambit by Pinski. Painfully unenthusiastic, both.

Yea I looked at them but the reviews said they're solid but uninspiring

That's 'cause you need plain old truth, not inspiration, when playing these openings.

There are a couple of books by Jan Pinski: The Two Knights Defense and Italian Game and Evans Gambit. These should set you up for just about anything that comes out of this move order.

I like sharp openings though with awesome tactics seeded into them. I was gonna try out with the sicilian dragon but thats too sharp, especially for a live chess game where you don't get time to think things through, with too many varitions and anti-sicilians to learn.

I thought the Classical Variation and two knights defence brought interesting positions, especially when you play the fried liver, with decent chances to attack. What I would like from a two knights defence book are inspiring games with excellent tactical decicians and combinations which lead to a stylish and quick checkmate. I've looked at games that make me say 'wow' and when I read a book on an opening I think practically every game in the book should make me say that. If the book's boring you'll think the opening's boring aswell.

Did you say Fried Liver? Dude, only patzers will respond with ...Nxd5, allowing you to sacrifice on f7. Any knowledgable player will play ...Na5.

And tricksters will play Nd4 or b5

Nxd5 is actually pretty popular at club level and Na5 after B+ blocks with pawn, pawn takes, pawn takes, both sides pieces are active but white is a pawn up.

At my level, not many players know what to play after d5 exd5 and Nd4 is funny for black when white doesn't know the trap but otherwise silly and i'm not too sure what what you mean by b5 DrSpudnik

I like the look of

Play 1 E4 E5!: A Complete Repertoire for Black in the Open Games (Everyman Chess) by Nigel Davies

and

Beating 1 E4 E5: A Repertoire for White in the Open Games by John Emms 

so anyone read these books or know any books better that describe the Italian Game in detail?

I have the Emms book and I like it, but I don't think it is what you are looking for.  The Emms book is a repertoire book in which White plays a restrained center (pawns at c3 and d3) and manoeuvres slowly much like a d3 Spanish (often moving the ls bishop to c2 and manoeuvering the queen knight to d2,f1, and finally e3 or g3).  White responds to the Two Knights Defense with 4 d3.  It is not about Romantic style chess.

 The Ulvestad Variation, be ready or be busted.

Yea, it sounds far too positional :) Thanks anyway tho 

That's the one.

4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 b5 and you are in for a trip! (Hint: do not take the pawn!)

yea I searched up the Ulvetad on the game explorer and why on earth is Bf1 played after b5 ? It looks like blacks pieces are gonna be really active while whites aren't even developed.  

And any more book recommendations. I feel we're going slightly off-topic here :)

Take a look at the video below for alternatives to Bf1, such as Bxb5.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dx-J71v3JkU

One more recommendation: Theorie der Schach-Eroffnungen by Keres. Two parts, written in German. Quite old, but still useful.

Written in german? Thats gonna be really useful... Maybe if there is an english version I'll look into it.

Also with the fried liver, I played against the computer on my ipod and I got 

How am i supposed to play this?

Watched the video and like the look of the Ulvestad a lot! I'm committed to Traxler as black though I might give it a couple of tries and it's good to know when playing white :) So any (a) good book(s) on 

1) The fried liver

2) The Ulvestad

3) The Italian Game - Variations after 4. ... Bc5

That talk mainly of concepts and actually make the openings interesting?

What sucks about the Two Knights Defence with 4.Ng5 is that as white, you expect an attacking game with lots of scope for sacrifices. But when black plays ...Na5 etc., rest assured you'll be on the defensive, with a cramped position at that. Bad news for the swashbuckling romantic.