Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Keidansky Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
3,858 games: White 35.4% / Draw 4.1% / Black 60.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,4881,488 | ||
| 897897 | ||
| 592592 | ||
| 498498 | ||
| 144144 | ||
| 109109 | ||
| 3232 | ||
| 2525 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 22, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 10. Nxa7+ c6 11. Nxc8 Rxc8 12. Be2 Ba7 13. Qe1 Bf2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Keidansky Variation (ECO C56, Open Games) is a variation of the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bc5 8. Nxc6 Bxf2+ 9. Kf1 Qh4 (9 moves).
In 3,858 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 35.4%, Black 60.5% and 4.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 10. Nd4+, in 39% of those games.
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How to play against the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Keidansky Variation
10. Nxa7+ scores best for White: 49.2%, with White winning 43.6% and Black 45.1% of 592 games. The most played, 10. Nd4+, scores 37.3% in 1,488 games, and 10. Qf3 scores lowest: 28.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 10. Nxa7+.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Keidansky Variation (C56)”. Lichess data as of 22 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-two-knights-defense-keidansky-variation