Fried Liver Attack
A knight sacrifice on f7 that drags the black king into the middle of the board. The most famous trap in the Italian Game.
| First moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 |
|---|---|
| ECO code | C57 (Two Knights Defense) |
| Character | Forcing, sacrificial, short games |
| Best for | Punishing a natural-looking mistake after 4.Ng5 |
Open any line on the analysis board, or play it out against a bot from where it ends.
Related openings
Italian Game
The classical way to open a chess game: develop, aim at f7, castle. The best first opening for most players.
Evans Gambit
White throws in a b-pawn to gain time for c3 and d4, turning a quiet Italian into a fast attack.
Scotch Game
White opens the center on move three instead of maneuvering. Clear, active positions with less theory than the Ruy Lopez.
How the attack works
In the Two Knights Defense, 4.Ng5 attacks f7 twice. After 4...d5 5.exd5, the natural recapture 5...Nxd5 leaves the knight on d5 loose and the black king exposed. White plays 6.Nxf7! Kxf7 7.Qf3+, and the king has to come forward to e6 to defend the knight, because 7...Kg8 loses to Bxd5+.
With the black king on e6, White brings everything: Nc3 piles onto the pinned d5 knight, d4 opens the center, and O-O and Re1 follow. Black is a piece up, but the king is in the open with the white pieces arriving.
Is it sound?
Engines rate the Fried Liver as roughly balanced to slightly better for White: the attack is real, but accurate defense holds. In practice, the defender has to find a series of only-moves with the king on e6, and most club players do not.
The Lolli Attack, 6.d4, is the more precise version: White opens the center before sacrificing, and many players consider it objectively stronger than 6.Nxf7.
How Black avoids it
- 5...Na5. The main line. Black gives up the pawn, attacks the bishop on c4 and gets a lead in development: the Polerio Defense, with long theory and good chances for Black.
- 5...b5 or 5...Nd4. The Ulvestad and Fritz variations, sharp counterattacking tries that are less trusted.
- 4...Bc5 (Traxler). Black ignores the threat and counterattacks f2 at once. Wild and risky for both sides.
- 3...Bc5. Playing the Giuoco Piano instead of the Two Knights avoids 4.Ng5 entirely.
The one move to avoid is 5...Nxd5. It looks natural and loses the initiative at once.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Fried Liver Attack work?
Against 5...Nxd5 it gives White a strong, lasting attack, and it wins many games at club level. Against the main line, 5...Na5, it never happens.
Why is it called the Fried Liver?
The name is a translation of the Italian "fegatello", a piece of liver: the black king ends up roasted in the middle of the board.
How do I stop the Fried Liver as Black?
After 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5, play 5...Na5 instead of 5...Nxd5. Or avoid 4.Ng5 altogether by answering 3.Bc4 with 3...Bc5.