Max Lange Attack

Infobox chess opening
openingname = PAGENAME

Chess diagram|=


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rd| |bd|qd|kd| | |rd|=
pd|pd|pd|pd| |pd|pd|pd|=
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moves=1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 Bc5 6.e5
ECO=C55
birth= mid-19th Century
nameorigin = Max Lange
parentopening = Open Game
AKA=
chessgid=

The Max Lange Attack is a chess opening that can arise from many different opening lines, including the Two Knights Defense, Petroff's Defense, Scotch Gambit, Bishop's Opening, Center Game, and Giuoco Piano. [David Hooper and Kenneth Whyld, "The Oxford Companion to Chess", Oxford University Press, 1992 (second edition), p. 253. ISBN 0-19-866164-9.] Two of the most commonly seen move orders are 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 (the Two Knights Defense) 4.d4 exd4 5.0-0 Bc5 6.e5 and 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 (the Scotch Gambit) Bc5 5.0-0 Nf6 6.e5. It is named for the German master Max Lange, who suggested it in 1854. [Hooper and Whyld, p. 253.]

After 6.e5, Black has two main replies. 6...Ng4 is playable, but rarely seen. More common is 6...d5, when the main line continues 7.exf6 dxc4 8.Re1+ Be6 9.Ng5 Qd5 (9...Qxf6?? 10.Nxe6 fxe6 11.Qh5+ followed by 12.Qxc5 is a notorious trap) 10.Nc3 Qf5 (10...dxc3?? 11.Qxd5 wins, since 11...Bxd5 is illegal) 11.Nce4 0-0-0 with complex play.

Illustrative game

H. Vatter-John Nunn, 1986 [http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1103414] 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 O-O-O 12.g4 Qe5 13.fxg7 Rhg8 14.Nxe6 fxe6 15.Bh6 d3 16.c3 d2 17.Re2 Rd3 18.Nxc5 Qxc5 19.Rxd2 Ne5 20.Rxd3 cxd3 21.Kg2 Qd5+ 22.Kg3 Qd6 23.Bf4 Rxg7 24.h3 Rf7 25.Qa4 Qc6 26.Qxc6 Nxc6 1/2-1/2

Notes