Two Knights Defence · 1600
The Fried Liver Attack
Teaching line — A knight is given away on f7 to drag the black king into the open on move six.
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Starting position
Ready
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Main lesson
f7 is the weakest square in the opening: two attackers and only the king defending is already a real attack.
Lesson notes
Moves 1–3 — aim at f7 from the start
- Bc4 is not just development: it puts a piece on the f7 diagonal on move three.
- In the Two Knights Defence, f7 is defended only by the king, so a second attacker is enough to create threats.
Moves 4–5 — the moment Black chooses
- After 4.Ng5, f7 is attacked twice and defended once.
- 5...Nxd5 is the greedy recapture that allows the sacrifice; 5...Na5! is the safe main line.
- Teach the choice, not just the attack — Black decides whether the Fried Liver exists.
Moves 6–7 — the sacrifice and the pin
- 6.Nxf7! trades a knight for the king's safety, not for material.
- 7.Qf3+ pins the knight on d5, so the king cannot run back to safety.
- 8...Ke6 is forced: the only defence keeps the king on an open board.
Moves 8–11 — bring new attackers
- 8.Nc3 and 9.Qe4 pile onto the pinned knight instead of moving the same piece twice.
- 10.a3 removes Black's only active piece before continuing.
- 11.d4 opens the last line: material is even irrelevant while only one side attacks.
What your student should learn
- f7 and f2 are defended only by the king.
- 5...Nxd5 is the mistake; 5...Na5 is the safe move.
- A sacrifice needs the queen and knight ready to follow.
- A king dragged to e6 is in real danger.
Rules to remember
- Rule 1Count attackers and defenders on f7 before you jump to g5.
- Rule 2Before any capture, ask what it does to your own king's safety.
- Rule 3A sacrifice needs new pieces joining every move, or it fizzles out.
- Rule 4When a piece is pinned, add attackers to it rather than chasing the king with checks.
Mini tournament checklist
- ✓ Is f7 (or f2) attacked more times than it is defended?
- ✓ After the sacrifice, do I have at least two checks or threats in a row?
- ✓ Can I bring a new piece into the attack every move?
- ✓ Is the enemy king unable to reach a safe square?
If the answers are yes, Nxf7 is an attack. If not, it is just a piece given away — this is the difference between the Fried Liver and a random sacrifice.
Coach's challenge
Set up the position after 5.exd5 and ask the student to find Black's safest move. Then play 5...Nxd5 and let them defend against the Fried Liver for ten moves.
Full move list
The Italian Game
The Knight Jumps To g5
The Greedy Recapture
The Fried Liver Sacrifice
Hunting The King On e6
Note: Also called the Fegatello Attack — Italian for “dead as a piece of liver”, which is how Black's king ends up.