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Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack

306K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

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Analyze this line move by move

White expected score · All ratings · All speeds

62.9%

45%70%
Floor62.8%

the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 63.1%.

Measured over 306K games at this level and clock.

Play Thiswins clearly more often than it loses at this level

A strong choice for White at this level and clock.

Outcomes for White

Draw 2.5 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 306K games

Rank among the families White can choose here
not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
Games in this context
306K
Best context
70.4% at 1400-1599 Classical
Worst context
60.3% at 1600-1799 Bullet
Average game length
28 moves
Games that end decisively
97.5%
Draws
2.5%

Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.

Extra Analysis

Deep-dive datasets for this opening

Gambit BreakpointWhite

Peak: +28.8% · Breakpoint: Never

Time-Control Swing

Max swing: 8.5% · UltraBullet best · Bullet worst

Where it holds · White score by rating × clock

Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It holds about the same all the way up, near 63.3%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+——

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 57.7% expected score (5 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 60.6% expected score (1,593 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 63.4% expected score (1,273 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 60.6% expected score (966 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 74.0% expected score (11 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 52.8% expected score (17 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 64.6% expected score (4,630 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 63.6% expected score (4,636 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 63.6% expected score (2,390 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 74.8% expected score (55 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 82.1% expected score (25 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 62.3% expected score (9,175 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 62.6% expected score (11,608 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 63.9% expected score (5,203 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 67.5% expected score (144 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 73.5% expected score (24 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 62.8% expected score (12,480 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 62.3% expected score (22,486 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 64.8% expected score (8,050 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 70.4% expected score (539 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 69.4% expected score (14 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 60.3% expected score (17,617 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 62.4% expected score (37,745 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 62.5% expected score (12,119 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 63.2% expected score (836 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 58.7% expected score (10 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 61.7% expected score (18,450 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 63.3% expected score (45,560 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 63.8% expected score (14,117 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 63.7% expected score (702 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 73.1% expected score (5 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 61.1% expected score (14,328 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 63.7% expected score (27,694 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 67.2% expected score (7,265 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 71.5% expected score (243 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 38.9% expected score (3 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 62.3% expected score (11,368 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 65.0% expected score (7,854 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 67.7% expected score (1,433 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 90.0% expected score (16 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 65.6% expected score (2,858 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 67.7% expected score (396 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 54.4% expected score (10 games)

Related Openings

Parent
Italian Game
55.0%
Variations (5)
Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense
51.3%
Italian Game: Paris Defense
50.2%
Italian Game: Giuoco Piano
47.0%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Modern Bishop's Opening
50.6%
Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal
49.3%
Continuations (4)
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Krause Variation
58.5%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Loman Defense
39.3%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Rubinstein Variation
48.2%
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Berger Variation
44.0%
Analyze Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack PositionsSee what each move is worth at your rating, move by move

Methodology

Across every rating and clock, the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack scores 62.9% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 62.8% and 63.1% — from 306K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.

How the figures are made
Whose games these are
306K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
Which games we count
  • Rated games only — nothing casual.
  • Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
  • At least 2 moves played.
  • A game is filed under White’s rating.
Why every number comes with a range
A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
How much we need before we say anything
An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate?

Playing the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, White wins 61.6%, draws 2.5% and loses 35.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.9%. It rests on 306K rated games from Lichess.

At what rating does the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack perform best?

The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack performs best for White at 2500+, with an Expected Score of 65.8% (3.3K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.

Is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack better in blitz or rapid?

For White, the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 63.1% in Blitz (159K games) against 64.2% in Rapid (52K games).

How sharp is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack?

The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack has a sharpness score of 97.5 (very decisive), meaning 97.5% of games end decisively. Average game length is 28 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 0-999?

At 0-999, White wins 60.6%, draws 2.0% and loses 37.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.6%. It rests on 3.8K Lichess games, which average 22 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 1000-1199?

At 1000-1199, White wins 63.2%, draws 1.6% and loses 35.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 64.0%. It rests on 12K Lichess games, which average 23 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 1200-1399?

At 1200-1399, White wins 61.9%, draws 1.6% and loses 36.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.7%. It rests on 26K Lichess games, which average 24 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 1400-1599?

At 1400-1599, White wins 62.0%, draws 2.0% and loses 36.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.0%. It rests on 44K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 1600-1799?

At 1600-1799, White wins 60.7%, draws 2.3% and loses 37.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.9%. It rests on 68K Lichess games, which average 28 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 1800-1999?

At 1800-1999, White wins 61.7%, draws 2.7% and loses 35.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.1%. It rests on 79K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 2000-2199?

At 2000-2199, White wins 61.9%, draws 3.3% and loses 34.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.5%. It rests on 50K Lichess games, which average 30 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 2200-2499?

At 2200-2499, White wins 62.0%, draws 3.5% and loses 34.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.7%. It rests on 21K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate at 2500+?

At 2500+, White wins 63.7%, draws 4.1% and loses 32.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 65.8%. It rests on 3.3K Lichess games, which average 35 moves.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate in UltraBullet?

In UltraBullet, White wins 69.4%, draws 0.5% and loses 30.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 69.7%. It rests on 103 Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate in Bullet?

In Bullet, White wins 60.9%, draws 1.9% and loses 37.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.9%. It rests on 92K Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate in Blitz?

In Blitz, White wins 61.7%, draws 2.7% and loses 35.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.1%. It rests on 159K Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate in Rapid?

In Rapid, White wins 62.7%, draws 3.0% and loses 34.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 64.2%. It rests on 52K Lichess games.

What is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack win rate in Classical?

In Classical, White wins 64.3%, draws 4.3% and loses 31.4%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 66.5%. It rests on 2.5K Lichess games.

Is the Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack a good opening?

The Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 61.6% of its games and loses 35.8%. It performs best at 2500+. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.