Max Lange's Attack.
1 P-K4
P-K4
2 Kt-KB3
Kt-QB3
3 P-Q4
PxP
4 B-QB4
Kt-B3
5 O-O
B-B4
Black tries to maintain the advantage of the Pawn plus, White aims at throwing the Black pieces into disorder.
6 P-K5
P-Q4
This counter-attack develops QB and Queen but abandons the King's side. Steinitz, consequently, proposed 6 ... Kt-KKt5. If White, analysing superficially, then tries an impetuous attack, the weak troupe of the aggressor is soon repulsed, viz., 7 BxPch.
KxB;
8 Kt-Kt5ch.
K-Kt1;
9 QxKt
P-Q4;
10 P-K6
Q-B3. Again 7 P-KR3
KKtxKP;
8 KtxKt
KtxKt;
9 R-K1
P-Q3;
10 P-B4
P-Q62333ch.;
11 B-K3
PxP;
12 QxBP
Q-R5;
13 Q-B2
QxQch.;
14 BxQ
BxBch.;
15 KxB
B-K3. Black has no difficulty in overcoming such premature assaults and thereby gaining an advantage. The right plan for White is to play safely.
7 B-B4. Now 8 (]P-KR3 is menaced. Hence
7 ... P-Q3;
8 PxP
PxP;
9 R-K1ch.
K-B1.
10 P-KR3
Kt-B3
11 QKt-Q2
B-B4
12 Kt-Kt3
Q-Kt3
The possibilities are numerous. White can hardly claim an advantage.
The Max Lange attack is provoked by Black's sixth move. 6 ... P-Q4.
7 PxKt
PxB
8 R-K1ch.
B-K3
Black may answer 8 ... K-B1, but the King remains there exposed a long time, for instance, after
9 B-Kt5. The strategy of Black should be to try for safety and counter-attack by means of Castling Queen's side.
9 Kt-Kt5 ...
If 9 PxP
R-KKt1;
10 B-Kt5
B-K2;
11 BxB
QxB;
12 KtxP
R-Q1;
13 P-QB3
RxP; Black is well developed.
14 Q-R4?
K-B1! whereupon the KXP is weak. After the Knight move, on the contrary, the development of Black is hampered, since 10 XxB followed by 11 Q-R5ch. winning the Bishop is a menace. By this threat White retains the attack.
9 ... Q-Q4
10 Kt-QB3
Q-B4
11 QKt-K4
B-KB1
The right move since the King's wing needs support. If 11 ... B-Kt3, Black's Queen's wing remains very strong, but at the expense of giving up resistance on the King's side, wherefore the Black King then cannot obtain a safe post. White would reply to 11 ..., B-X3 by
12 PxP
R-KKt1;
13 P-KKt4
Q-Kt3;
14 KtxB
PxKt;
15 B-Kt5, thus preventing Castling Queen's side and forcefully menacing 16 Q-B3. A celebrated game - White: Marshall; Black: Dr. Tarrasch. - took the following course, 11 ... O-O-O;
12 KtxQB
PxKt;
13 P-KKt4, Q-K4;
14 PxP
KR-Kt1;
15 B-R6
P-Q6;
16 P-QB3
P-Q7;
17 R-K2
B-Kt3;
18 K-Kt2. In the long run the Black Pawn on Q7 is untenable. The Knight on K4, soon supported by P-B3, dominates the centre. Therefore, the retreat of the Bishop 11 ..., [!)B-KB1 is well founded. Apparently 12 P-KKt4 refutes the move, but in reality no. Black would defeat the attempted refutation by
12 ... QxP ch.;
13 QxQ
BxQ;
14 PxP
BxP;
15 Kt-B6DoubleCheck
K-B1;
16 KtxB
P-KR4! Taken all in all, White can hardly do better than
12 KtxBP
KxKt
13 Kt-Kt5ch.
K-Kt1
14 RxB
PxP
15 P-KKt4
Q-Q4
Not 15 ... Q-Kt3 on account of
16 Q-B3.
16 RxP
P-KR4
17 R-Kt6ch.
B-Kt2
18 Kt-K6
K-B2
White to play.
There is plenty of play in it on either side.