Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Krause Variation
In the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Krause Variation, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.
The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Krause Variation is a chess opening classified under ECO code C56. It is reached after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O Bc5 6. e5 Ng4 7. c3: 13 moves in, with Black to play.
It belongs to the Italian Game family — one of many ways the line can branch. Understanding the parent system’s plans is the fastest way to play this variation well.
Club players rarely lose the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Krause Variation in the opening itself. They lose it a few moves later, when the plan behind the moves runs out: that is what reading your own games in this line shows you.