Chess Openings Lab
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Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack

The Max Lange Attack arises after 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.e5, where White pushes the e-pawn into the f6 knight. Black's best answer is the counterstrike ...d5, hitting the c4 bishop, while White aims to open lines toward the black king with exf6 and Re1+.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.e5
ECO
C56
Engine
+0.18 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
705 games in our lichess sample
White scores
68.6%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Answer ...d5 with exf6 and after ...dxc4 check with Re1+ to pin and slow Black down.
  • After ...Be6, push fxg7 and follow with Bg5 so Black's rook and king face open lines.
  • Against ...Ng4, play Bf4, h3 and Bxh6, wrecking Black's kingside pawns before Black castles safely.
  • After ...Ng4 and ...O-O, h3 drives the knight to h6, where Bxh6 doubles Black's h-pawns.

Black

  • Play ...d5 at once, the engine's top choice, counterattacking the c4 bishop instead of moving the f6 knight.
  • After exf6 dxc4 and Re1+, block with ...Be6 and answer fxg7 with ...Rg8.
  • The ...Ng4 option leads to ...O-O and ...Nh6, but Black accepts ruined kingside pawns.
  • Avoid ...Ng8: the knight goes backward and White's attack with Ng5 and Re1 comes too fast.

Plans and pawn structure

In the ...d5 line, Black gets two bishops and an extra central pawn, but the king stays in the center and the g-file and e-file open. White's plan is Re1, Bg5, Nc3 and Ne4 to attack along the open lines. Black wants ...Rg8, ...Qd5 and long castling, using the strong pawns on c4 and d4. In the ...Ng4 line the play is calmer but Black's kingside pawns are broken after Bxh6. In the sample White scored 68.6%, a sign that Black must know the moves.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.18: level. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. +0.18 6...d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Be6 9.fxg7
  2. +0.64 6...Ng4 7.Bf4 O-O 8.h3 Nh6 9.Bxh6
  3. +2.53 6...Ng8 7.Ng5 Nh6 8.Re1 Rb8 9.a3

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

705 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 68.6%.

under 120071.3%
1200–159963.2%
1600–199971.3%
2000 and up67.4%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

Where it goes next

How to play against it

As Black, play ...d5 right away and keep your nerve: after exf6 dxc4 Re1+, ...Be6 is the key block. Do not retreat with ...Ng8, which wastes time. Your queen and rooks belong on the d-file and the g-file, with the king often going long.

Questions

What are the moves of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack?

The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.O-O Bc5 6.e5. Its ECO code is C56.

Is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.18 at depth 20, which is level. In 705 lichess games from our sample, White scored 68.6%. A sharp attacking line that rewards White players who study it, while Black needs exact moves like ...d5 and ...Be6 to hold.

What is the main idea of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack?

White hits the f6 knight with e5 to open lines toward Black's king. Black counters with ...d5, giving up the knight for White's c4 bishop and a big pawn center, and the game turns sharp.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is d5, with Ng4 and Ng8 close behind. ...d5 hits the c4 bishop and opens the c8 bishop's diagonal, giving Black counterplay before White's attack lands.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.