During Dipcon in North Carolina, I struck upon a novel opening for Italy that could be credited with just trying something different on the last day of a tournament that I had no chance at that point of winning. It could also have been the pain medication… But as I proceeded I began to see all of the possibilities. I have waited this long to write about it because I did not have a chance to try the other option until this weekend in Victoria and I wanted it to be a surprise until I tried it at least once.

The only real necessity for this opening to at least get a strong position in the east is a neutral or friendly France and that only for the first year. If France opens to Piedmont it becomes much more difficult although not untenable. The most useful ally to begin is Russia as they will be in position to profit no matter what you decide to do in Spring of 02. Again that is not a necessity. If you can get Turkey and Russia at least neutral toward each other that also helps. For maximum effectiveness, Austria must do a standard Balkan opening; I like to sell the Lepanto as this may in fact be what happens. The only essential ingredient is commitment, any attempt to follow this route half way is doomed to ignominious failure.

The Swinging Gate: Balkan Surprise

Spring 01

Ideally you have worked out a bounce in Galicia to get Austria worried about the Russian; anything to increase your odds that VIE/BUD is not moving to TRI in the Fall. So Austria moves to ALB and SER and France does not move to Pie. A nice twist is to work out a bounce with Germany in TYR so you can show the Austrian what a great friend you are holding the wolves at bay.

Italy's moves
VEN H
ROM - APU
NAP - ION

The Lepanto is on, oh my goodness!

Fall 01

Austria continues the Balkan Strategy, ideally with a Russia breathing down his neck. It is also possible to work the Turkey VS. Russia angle, which is great for selling the Lepanto to Austria. Talk Turkey into attacking RUM and have Austria support whomever is necessary to keep it neutral. As long as the extra army is occupied.

Austria
BUD S BUL - RUM (or RUM to hold if Turkey is in the BLA)
ALB - GRE
SER S ALB - GRE

Italy
VEN - TRI
APU - ALB
ION C APU - ALB

Turkey and Russia are all smiles, Austria is gasping for breath and Italy just jumped into the drivers seat in the Balkans with leverage on Greece, Serbia, Budapest and Vienna.

Italy then has the option of A VEN, the stronger of the two builds, or, if Turkish or French Fleets look to be a problem, F NAP

Spring 02

Assuming A VEN

A VEN - TYR or S TRI
A TRI S VEN to TYR or the Russian into BUD or VIE
F ION - GRE or F ION S ALB - GRE
A ALB S ION - GRE or ALB - GRE

Ideally, Italy will then have Greece, still call the tune in Serbia and have leverage on Vienna, Bulgaria, and Budapest.
Italy is at a possible 6 with three armies engaged on the Balkan Front and still has not taken Tunis. The RT might on the surface like this but when the builds show up F NAP, A VEN they have a problem. They are in effect facing a healthy Austria and Italy but they are all Italian units with no chance for a stab. Hopefully Italy has made arrangements with one or the other for their next mutual target and the 7 or 8 center Italy in 04 has some real muscle to control the game.

The Swinging Gate: Lepanto

The opening and first year are the same. This can work a prearranged action with a bit of play acting on the part of the Austrian or as a genuine surprise if you can talk fast enough.

The builds are likewise flexible; a fleet makes a turn toward France quicker, an army gives more muscle to face Russia and Germany.

Spring 02

Italy
ALB S TRI - SER
TRI - SER
ION - EAS
NAP - TYS (if France is a worry, or ION if Turkey has two useful fleets)

Austria
VIE - TRI
GRE S SER - BUL
SER - BUL
BUD - RUM or BUD S RUM

If the Turk has angered the Russian enough you might even get RUM S SER - BUL

The important part here is the misdirection. Turkey thinks after Fall 01 that Austria is done and Italy should do nothing to dissuade that notion, even promising SER or GRE. The fleet in Smyrna is likely headed to the Aegean. At worst Turkey is not certain which variant you are playing (sadly this article makes that a real possibility), at best Turkey doesn't know what hit them.

The Army in Bulgaria is most likely disbanded and they are left in the unfortunate position of fleet in Black Sea region, Army Constantinople, and Fleet in Aegean or Smyrna. If Turkey moved ANK - CON to open, simply bring the new Italian fleet to bear.

Fall 02

Italy
SER S BUL
ALB H
EAS S GRE - AEG
ION/TYS - TUN

Austria
BUL S BUD - RUM (or HOLD, depending on Russia)
TRI S ?
BUD to RUM or GAL or H
GRE - AEG

Austria trades Serbia for Triest and Bulgaria.

Italy trades Triest for Serbia and Tunis

Turkey at 3 has only what is already on the board, generally two non-supporting fleets and an army in Constantinople.

Now the reaction of France becomes an issue. If still friendly, then the Italian fleet chain can be useful to convoy out of Albania. If France is hostile, the two fleets in the rear can hold off the French for the one year necessary to complete the Lepanto while the Albanian unit passes through Greece.

Austria builds A VIE
Italy builds F NAP or A ROM/VEN

Spring 03

Italy
EAS - SMY
SER - BUL (or S BUD or…)
ALB H (or - GRE)
TUN - ION or WES
NAP - TYS

Austria
AEG S BUL - CON
BUL - CON
BUD - RUM
VIE - GAL (if Russia is not in position to prop up Turkey, or can hold to wait until next year)

Austria does do some holding, but should not get too impatient, as Russia will be mostly Austrian. Besides, the whole point of this opening is for Italy to be in position to call the tune.

Fall 03

Italy
ALB - SMY
EAS S ALB – SMY (or GRE to SMY if you are passing through)
ION C ALB – SMY (or TYS/WES – SPA/MAO, depending on France)
TYS H
SER S BUD - RUM

Austria
AEG C ALB - SMY (GRE to SMY is a possibility)
BUL - CON
BUD - RUM
VIE - GAL
TRI - BUD

Italy gets Smyrna.
Austria gets Rumania or the promise of Constantinople and Rumania in the next year.

Build can be an anti-French fleet or an Army for continental work.

Spring 04

Italy
SMY S BUL - CON
SER - BUL
EAS H (or to ION)
ION H (or to TYS)
TYS H (or to WES)

Austria
BUL - CON
TRI - SER
RUM - UKR
BUD - RUM
GAL S RUM - UKR
AEG S BUL - CON

Fall 04

Italy
CON - ANK
ION S BUL - SPA
TYS C BUL - SPA
WES C BUL - SPA
BUL - SPA

Leaving the Italian unit on the Russian flank to help.
Or you can of course wait until next year and convoy out of Smyrna, leaving an army in Bulgaria to help with Russia.

Austria
CON S SMY - ANK
AEG C BUL - SPA
SER - BUL
UKR S RUM - SEV
GAL S UKR
RUM - SEV

In 04 Italy has:
Italy + Serbia, Smyrna, Ankara, Tunis, and possibly Spain.

Austria has:
Austria + Greece, Bulgaria, Constantinople, Rumania, and possibly Sevastopal.

Their units are more or less completely disentangled.

Russia is in serious trouble barring some huge breakthrough in the north.

Turkey is gone.

And France has either been served a nasty surprise or is about to get one.

The beauty of the Swinging Gate is it's flexibility in 02 and 03. It is a risk to commit so thoroughly to an opening, but the options it leaves overcome the uncertainty in 01. If you cannot get a commitment from anyone in the East you might just force one with an army in Albania. The other great advantage, to borrow from chess, is the rapid development of your units; all Italy's pieces are at the point of attack in 01. I hope you get a chance to try this with a good partner; I'm betting with a try or two of this you won't be thinking, "Oh crap I drew Italy."