Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5 6. e5
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack is a chess opening classified as ECO C56, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5 6. e5. It is a line of the Italian Game. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 429 times by this move order. White won 61%, 2% were drawn and Black won 37%. The most popular continuation is 6… d5 (54% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.21 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 6… d5 7. exf6 dxc4 8. fxg7 Rg8 9. Bg5)
- ECO
- C56
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/2b1P3/2Bp4/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQ1RK1 b kq - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5 6. e5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 89 | |
| 1500-1999 | 259 | |
| 2000+ | 81 | |
| All | 429 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… d5 | 230 (54%) | |
| 6… Ng4 Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense | 114 (27%) | |
| 6… Ne4 | 49 (11%) | |
| 6… Ng8 | 24 (6%) | |
| 6… Nh5 | 6 (1%) | |
| 6… Na5 | 2 (0%) | |
| 6… Nxe5 | 2 (0%) | |
| 6… d6 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
106 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 58%, draw 15%, Black 27%). The strongest:
- IM Thomas Beerdsen (2508) – GM Alexei Shirov (2704) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 1st Feb A · 2022-02-01
- GM Ermes Espinosa Veloz (2485) – GM Victor Mikhalevski (2560) 1-0 · Titled Tuesday 10th Nov · 2020-11-10
- GM Sarunas Sulskis (2525) – IM Christian, Dr. Seel (2469) 0-1 · 2nd Bundesliga West 2017-18 · 2018-02-25
- GM David C Smerdon (2506) – GM Glenn C Flear (2462) 1/2-1/2 · 4NCL Rapid Indiv 2014 · 2014-10-05
- FM Ernesto J. Fernandez Guillen (2424) – IM Pedro Alejandro Jimenez Fraga (2432) 1-0 · Guillermo Garcia Premier 1 · 2017-05-22
Search all games of the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- RomChartres (2533) – FM ArdianJashari (2458) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- gabrielmonchimanchas (2329) – napoleonito (2325) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Tramposian (2306) – Roman_Efimov (2334) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack (5. O-O Bc5) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5
Continuations
- Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Spielmann Defense C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5 6. e5 Ng4
- Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, Long Variation C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5 6. e5 d5 7. exf6 dxc4 8. Re1+ Be6 9. Ng5 Qd5 10. Nc3 Qf5 11. Nce4
More Italian Game lines (all)
- Italian Game C50
- Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense C50
- Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Albin Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Deutz Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (3… Bc5 4. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5… d6 6. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5. O-O O-O) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5… O-O 6. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Dubois Variation C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights Variation C50
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.