Atalanta, chasing a berth leading to next season’s Uefa Champions League, were the latest victims of Inter’s surge for supremacy.
After a goalless first-half, Milan Skriniar stabbed home just after the pause at the San Siro.
Antonio Conte’s men dug in defensively to seal their 19th win in 26 games.
City rivals AC Milan are second with 56 points and Juventus are third on 52 points though they have played one game less than the pacesetters.
“We played against an Atalanta team that takes points from all the big clubs," Conte told Sky Sport Italia. "They prepared for this more wisely than in previous matches against us, they knew we could hurt them.
"This was three important points against an excellent team.”
Goal
Conte is attempting to steer Inter to their first Serie A title since 2010 when Jose Mourinho led them to the trophy as well as the Coppa Italia and the Champions League.
AC Milan claimed the 2011 Serie A title and Conte took Juventus to a hat trick of championships between 2012 and 2014.
Massimo Allegri with five and Maurizio Sarri, adding the 2020 crown, maintained the Juventus stranglehold.
"We definitely played a good match," Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini told Sky Sport Italia.
"We lost on a corner kick, perhaps with a bit of bad luck, in one episode. We are angry about the result."
Atalanta remain fifth after the setback, one point behind Roma and two ahead of sixth placed Napoli with 12 games left.
