Caissa Codex
C56

Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Rubinstein Variation

Chess diagram: Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Rubinstein Variation after 11…Bf8

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Statistics from Lichess

2,040 games: White 48.1% / Draw 4.7% / Black 47.2%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
792792
519519
342342
229229
123123
1313
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33

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 7, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.34 White is slightly better

Best play: 12. Nxe6 fxe6 13. Bg5 O-O-O 14. fxg7 Bxg7 15. Bxd8 Rxd8 16. Ng3 Qg6

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Rubinstein Variation (ECO C56, Open Games) is a variation of the Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Bc5 6. e5 d5 7. exf6 dxc4 8. Re1+ Be6 9. Ng5 Qd5 10. Nc3 Qf5 11. Nce4 Bf8 (11 moves).

In 2,040 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.1%, Black 47.2% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 12. g4, in 39% of those games.

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How to play against the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Rubinstein Variation

12. Nxf7 scores best for White: 70.2%, with White winning 68.1% and Black 27.8% of 342 games. The most played, 12. g4, scores 47.0% in 792 games, and 12. fxg7 scores lowest: 41.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 12. Nxe6.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5…Bc5 6. e5 d5 7. exf6 dxc4 8. Re1+ Be6 9. Ng5 Qd5 10. Nc3 Qf5 11. Nce4 Bf8, the position after Italian Game: Scotch Gambit also goes on to:

Transpositions

This position is also reached from these lines, by another move order:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Rubinstein Variation (C56)”. Lichess data as of 7 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-two-knights-defense-max-lange-attack-rubinstein-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/italian-game-two-knights-defense-max-lange-attack-rubinstein-variation