For White· 21 lines

Vienna Game - Max Lange Defense (2...Nc6)

Let's learn the Max Lange Defense! Black develops the knight to f6 and the bishop to c5, pressing our center. We respond with d3 and f4, building a strong center while preparing c3 to support it. Let's begin with 1.e4.

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Main line

Scroll the moves: the board follows.

Key lines

The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.

  1. Main Line: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Na4 Nd4 8. c3 Nxf3+ 9. gxf3 Bh3 10. Nxc5 dxc5 11. f5
    Main Line

    … 8... Nxf3+ 9. gxf3 Bh3 10. Nxc5 dxc5 11. f5

  2. 3...Bc5: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Na4 Nd4 8. c3 Nxf3+ 9. gxf3 Bh3 10. Nxc5 dxc5 11. f5
    3...Bc5

    … 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 Nf6 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Na4 Nd4 8. c3 Nxf3+ 9. gxf3 Bh3 10. Nxc5 dxc5 11. f5

  3. 3...Bc5: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 d6 5. Na4 Bb6 6. Nxb6 axb6 7. Bd2
    3...Bc5

    … 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 d6 5. Na4 Bb6 6. Nxb6 axb6 7. Bd2

  4. 4...Bb4: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. f4 Bg4 8. h3 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 Nd4 10. Qd1 c6 11. fxe5
    4...Bb4

    … 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 O-O 6. O-O d6 7. f4 Bg4 8. h3 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 Nd4 10. Qd1 c6 11. fxe5

  5. 4...Bb4: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. f4 Bg4 8. h3 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 Nd4 10. Qd1 c6 11. fxe5
    4...Bb4

    … 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. f4 Bg4 8. h3 Bxe2 9. Qxe2 Nd4 10. Qd1 c6 11. fxe5

  6. 4...Bb4: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Be6 8. Bxd5 Bxd5 9. f4 f6 10. fxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Bf4
    4...Bb4

    … 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Be6 8. Bxd5 Bxd5 9. f4 f6 10. fxe5 Nxe5 11. Nxd5 Qxd5 12. Bf4

  7. 4...Bb4: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nxc3 8. bxc3 Bd6 9. d4 O-O 10. Ng3
    4...Bb4

    … 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 d5 6. exd5 Nxd5 7. O-O Nxc3 8. bxc3 Bd6 9. d4 O-O 10. Ng3

  8. 4...Be7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4 d6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O
    4...Be7

    … 4. d3 Be7 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4 d6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O

  9. 4...Be7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. f4 O-O 6. Nf3
    4...Be7

    … 4. d3 Be7 5. f4 O-O 6. Nf3

  10. 4...Be7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. O-O Nd4 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. Bxf7+
    4...Be7

    … 4. d3 Be7 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. O-O Nd4 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. Bxf7+

  11. 4...Be7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Be7 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. f5 Na5 8. Bg5 Nxc4 9. dxc4 c6 10. Qe2
    4...Be7

    … 4. d3 Be7 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. f5 Na5 8. Bg5 Nxc4 9. dxc4 c6 10. Qe2

  12. 4...d6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. f4 Be7 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. O-O Nd4 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. Bxf7+
    4...d6

    … 4. d3 d6 5. f4 Be7 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. O-O Nd4 8. fxe5 dxe5 9. Bxf7+

  13. 4...d6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. f4 Bg4 6. Nge2
    4...d6

    … 4. d3 d6 5. f4 Bg4 6. Nge2

  14. 4...d6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 d6 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4 Be7 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O
    4...d6

    … 4. d3 d6 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4 Be7 7. Nf3 O-O 8. O-O

  15. 4...Na5: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Na5 5. Bb3 Nxb3 6. axb3 d5 7. Nf3 dxe4 8. Nxe5 exd3 9. O-O Bd6 10. Nxd3 O-O 11. Qf3
    4...Na5

    … 4. d3 Na5 5. Bb3 Nxb3 6. axb3 d5 7. Nf3 dxe4 8. Nxe5 exd3 9. O-O Bd6 10. Nxd3 O-O 11. Qf3

  16. 5...exf4: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4 O-O 7. Nf3 d6 8. d4 Bb4 9. Bg5 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qe8 11. O-O
    5...exf4

    … 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4 O-O 7. Nf3 d6 8. d4 Bb4 9. Bg5 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qe8 11. O-O

  17. 5...exf4: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4 d6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. d4 Bb4 9. Bg5 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qe8 11. O-O
    5...exf4

    … 5. f4 exf4 6. Bxf4 d6 7. Nf3 O-O 8. d4 Bb4 9. Bg5 Bxc3+ 10. bxc3 Qe8 11. O-O

  18. 6...O-O: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 O-O 7. f5 a6 8. Bg5
    6...O-O

    … 6. Nf3 O-O 7. f5 a6 8. Bg5

  19. 6...Ng4: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 Ng4 7. Ng5 O-O 8. f5 Nf2 9. Qh5 h6 10. Nxf7 Rxf7 11. Qxf7+ Kh8 12. f6 Qxf6 13. Qg8#
    6...Ng4

    … 6. Nf3 Ng4 7. Ng5 O-O 8. f5 Nf2 9. Qh5 h6 10. Nxf7 Rxf7 11. Qxf7+ Kh8 12. f6 Qxf6 13. Qg8#

  20. 7...Bb6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Na4 Bb6 8. c3 O-O 9. Nxb6 axb6 10. O-O
    7...Bb6

    … 7. Na4 Bb6 8. c3 O-O 9. Nxb6 axb6 10. O-O

  21. Trap: 9...Nxe4, you win a piece: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. f4 d6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Na4 Nd4 8. c3 Nxf3+ 9. gxf3 Nxe4 10. dxe4 Qh4+ 11. Kd2
    Trap: 9...Nxe4, you win a piece

    … 9. gxf3 Nxe4 10. dxe4 Qh4+ 11. Kd2

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