Wcywing, I definitely do not recommend to play the Sicilian as Black now for two reasons. It will take too much time as you also study a main line from the Ruy Lopez. This time you should rather spend on middle game and endgame. The second reason is that on your level literally nobody will play 2.Nf3 and 3.d4.
But as you play 1.e4 yourself you must have something against the Sicilian yourself.

4...Bb4+ 5.c3 dxc3 6.0-0 is somewhat inferior because of an old Steinitz suggestion: cxb2 7.Bxb2 Nf6 8.Ng5 (8.a3 Ba5 9.e5 Nh5!?) 0-0 9.e5 Nxe5! 10.Bxe5 d5. But 6.bxc3 is fun, eg Ba5 7.0-0 Nge7 8.Ng5 Ne5 9.Bb3 h6 (best d5 10.exd5 +=; 0-0 10.f4 N5g6 11.Qh5 or even 0-0 10.Nxh7) 10.f4 hxg5 11.fxe5 0-0 12.Bxg5 eg Qe8 13.Bf6!

Speaking of the Scotch Gambit, here is a sample from a game I just came across, in which a class A player (in US terms) manages to be lost in 6 moves.  I have the impression that 4...Bb4+ is common at lower levels, though it has long been considered bad.  As far as I know, 6. 0-0 is also very good for White.    


[Event "6th Gibtelecom Masters"]
[Site "Gibraltar ENG"]
[Date "2008.01.23"]
[Round "2"]
[White "Arnott,J"]
[Black "Gonzalez Amaya,M"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2117"]
[BlackElo "1823"]
[EventDate "2008.01.22"]
[ECO "C44"]

1. e4 e5 2. d4 exd4 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. Bc4 Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Be7 7. Qd5
Nh6 8. Bxh6 O-O 9. Be3 d6 10. O-O Be6 11. Qd3 Bg4 12. Nbd2 Bf6 13. Bd4 Bxd4
14. cxd4 Qf6 15. Rab1 Ne7 16. Rxb7 c5 17. e5 1-0

wcywing wrote on 01/26/08 at 01:38:53:


Which means you should keep three things in mind:
1. chose an opening that helps you to learn something. Ie I learned quite something by playing the Danish, though I would not recommend it these days. But I am convinced, like Markovich, that playing these lines of the Italian will help you to improve your tactical abilities, your feeling for sacrificial play (compensation on the long term) and also endgames.
2. do not make my mistake. Do not play these lines too long (two or three years should suffice, let's say until you have an ELO of 1700 or something) and do not spend too much time analyzing them. You must improve your endgame (get yourself some elementary endgame book), your tactics (abundance of choice) and positional play (again a lot more available than 25 years ago).
3. make sure you play different kind of openings. Eg I also second Markovich' recommendation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4 - teaches you about the IQP.

I agree with Kylemeister that you should consider 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4. This  opens the game immediately, so it increases your chances of a tactical melee. 4...Bc5 (Nf6 5.0-0 see my previous post; d6 5.Nxd4 is a variation of the Hungarian) 5.c3 Nf6 (dxc3 6.Nxc3 d6 7.o-o and 8.Bg5 is a kind of Göring Gambit; d3 6.0-0 d6 7.b4 Bb6 8.a4) 6.0-0 is the nameless Italian Gambit mentioned above.
Alas such a nice transpositional trick does not exist for the Evans Gambit.

As you intend to turn to the Ruy Lopez, it is better to stick to 2.Nf3 (2.d4 also has some transpositional nuances) as you will have to find something against the Petrov and Philidor anyway.
Keep track with the repertoire suggested by Greet. One day - rather sooner than later - you will need it.

Shouldn't you open a similar thread on the Sicilian as well? For 1.e4 players it is the second opening to master, immediately after the Open Games.

I would have to say that for a player rated about 1400, concern about whether the Italian is "outdated" is misplaced.  You could also consider the Scotch Gambit 3. d4 ed 4. Bc4 (generally transposing to a 2 Knights or Giuoco unless Black plays something inferior) or (leaving Italy) the Four Knights Scotch.  (For example, I can think of a couple of GMs who managed to lose rather quickly in the latter in the last few years ...)

my main opening as white is the italian game, i like playing the italian gambit either  by 4. d4!? OR 4.O-O, 5. d4!?  i have read Jude Acers's book but i am not convinced at his miami variation, and the variations i play he seems to refute with a simple d6.  the variations he has might be refuted in opening lanes on chess cafe.  i will provide a link if anyone wants to look at that.  

the main lines like Bd2 and Nc3 !? moller gambit seem to be dated.  perhaps i have not done enough research.  i have had many good wins with it even against higher rated opponents, but i feel it may be to simple to equalize or even to beat.  maybe i am a bit paranoid.  i'm curious to what everyone thinks.  

i am rated 1414 and like tactical openings, but i think italian game is outdated.     any comments or ideas will be appreciated.