I'm curious, how many variations of the Giuoco Piano Game are there?

I just want to see how many variations are there to know to improve my chess and to have more opening theory knowledge. By my knowledge, I heard there are so many variations of the game to cover up. I tried going to Hanging Pawns https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkJdvwRC-oGPhRHW_XPNokg, but he was only able to cover up 3 main lines of the Giuoco Piano. So, leave me any information about the opening and I'll save it in here.

Oh and for those who don't know what the Giuoco Piano Game is, I'll leave the Diagram here:

You can't really put a number on it. There are millions of games in chess databases, and engine-to-engine play is constantly stretching the horizon in opening theory.

If GM Magnus Carlsen decided that a game between 2 grandmasters from 30 years ago, that had a new variation that was never played before, and it's the only game he can find with that variation.... and he won a major tounament using that variation... then the chess world would be obsessed with this rediscovered variation for at least 6 months... or longer.

Perhaps a better question is where to find information about opening theory.

Due to the cost, I hesitate to suggest Chessbase, but it's certainly the gold standard for opening theory.

In that position I'd say there are four main ones: the Evans gambit b4, the Italian gambit, d4, the Giuoco Piano proper with c3 and d4, and the Giuoco Pianissimo with c3 and d3, the last being the most fashionable these days.

@Caesar49bc, well in that case, there is an app called "Chess Opening Master". It covers up a lot of chess opening theory, traps, etc. Although, it's pretty good source to find out about openings, it doesn't have all of the opening theory. As you said, there is an incredible amount of theory to cover up, which would take a difficult amount of time to do. So yeah, that is one source I would go. If you have more sources on finding openings, then just leave me a link or tell me the name.

Moller Attack. Max Lange Attack. There are dozens of names and variations, probably as much as the Ruy Lopez, but many are lost to time. And that's not including transpositions to two knights/petroff/etc. It's incredible the amount of opening names there are for non-Spanish e4 e5 openings, gambit this and countergambit that - not of course new names some computer engine "author" is throwing out but ones that existed for hundreds of years. It's a pity in a way that the top GMs don't play many of these historical openings much anymore in favour of the Ruy Lopez.  

@Aastronaat, Actually, I have! I just wasn't able to cover every single variation, opening, gambit, etc. It can cost a lot of time and effort to do it.

e4 e5 in general is extremely rich in possibilities

There are more possible Giuoco Piano games than atoms in the universe

I have a book by Irving Cernev fromo 1946 . . . "300 Winning chess traps" . . .

It has 12 different pages of Giuoco opening and more variation within each page . . .

Some variation White wins some Black wins or some one of the

Wins the exchange . . .

This isn't the sort of question a chess player would ask. It's hard to quantify such a thing. There are obscure variations, well-traveled variations, variations that have never been played but are reasonable, main lines, sidelines, lines that are known but have no name, etc.

It would be like asking us for the number of ideas in a Nietzsche text. 

If your question is "How many moves are playable for white on move four?" that would be one thing, but within each playable move there are also several different completely different continuations based on what each side does. 

Any opening, but especially one as rich as the Italian, will take a great deal of effort and experience to master. 

I have Chessbase Opening Encyclooedia 2011. Perhaps with the next major update to Chessbase I'll get the premium edition. I'm still using Chessbase 11.

I'll have to get a newer edition to use the newest mega database, so I've been putting off getting Chessbase premium for years. Chessbase 11 still plenty useful. 😋

Chessbase 11 is still a helluva robust program, even after 10 years.

@Caesar49bc thank you! I'll check it out.

I have a hunch that anyone who falls into this group would not be able to help you out much with your question. 

That is not what the OP is asking. He is asking how many specific variations - such as the evans gambit, Moller Attack, Giuoco Pianissimo, etc. 

Gosh, really? Thanks for the clarification.

@jatait47, I mean you are more experienced than I am at chess, so I suppose there are! haha

@Morphys-Revenge, well, what would your answer be?