Fried Liver Attack
ECO C57-C58intermediate
The Fried Liver Attack erupts from the Two Knights Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5?! 6.Nxf7! Kxf7 7.Qf3+ — White sacrifices a knight to drag the king to the center, where Qf3+, Nc3 and 0-0 pile on faster than Black can untangle. It is the first true attacking pattern most players learn, and the most important defensive lesson too: 5...Nxd5 is the mistake; the Polerio counter 5...Na5! (hitting the c4 bishop before recapturing) defuses everything.
Main line
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 a6 7.Bb3 Ba7
Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.
Win rates by rating
Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.
| Rating | Games | White wins | Draws | Black wins | Position after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400-600 | 29 | 41.4% | 17.2% | 41.4% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O |
| 600-800 | 210 | 43.3% | 6.2% | 50.5% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 |
| 800-1000 | 204 | 42.2% | 3.9% | 53.9% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 |
| 1000-1200 | 86 | 58.1% | 7% | 34.9% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 a6 |
| 1200-1400 | 219 | 51.6% | 1.4% | 47% | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 a6 |
Most played continuations (1200-1400 rating)
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 a6:
- a4 — played 14.2% of the time (White wins 45.2%, draws 3.2%, Black wins 51.6%)
- h3 — played 14.2% of the time (White wins 38.7%, draws 0%, Black wins 61.3%)
- b4 — played 14.2% of the time (White wins 35.5%, draws 0%, Black wins 64.5%)
Related openings
Frequently asked questions
Is the Fried Liver Attack winning by force?
Against 5...Nxd5, practically yes at club level — engines hold Black's position with computer-precise defense (the ...Ke6 lines), but no human enjoys it. The real verdict is on move five: 5...Na5 avoids the whole sacrifice and is why 4.Ng5 isn't a refutation of the Two Knights.
How does Black safely meet 4.Ng5?
5...Na5! after 4...d5 5.exd5 — the knight hits the c4 bishop and Black regains central control after 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6, with the bishop pair and open lines for the pawn. Sharp alternatives like the Traxler 4...Bc5!? exist, but 5...Na5 is the sound, learnable backbone.
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