Fried Liver Attack

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.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1. 1.e4 Right away you push your pawn two squares to e4, a great way to start. This brave little pawn stands tall in the middle, grabbing space and helping you control the busy center. A super first move!
2. 1...e5 Black answers by marching the e-pawn up to e5, a dark square in the center. Now both sides have a pawn planted in the middle, staring at each other. It's a fair and balanced start to the game, with each player claiming a piece of the center.
3. 2.Nf3 White moves their knight from g1 to f3. This is a good developing move that helps get your pieces into the game!
4. 2...Nc6 Black moves their knight from b8 to c6. This is a good developing move, bringing a piece into the game.
5. 3.Bc4 You moved your bishop from its home square to a new spot. This is a great developing move! It gets your piece into the game and ready for action.
6. 3...Nf6 Black moves their knight from g8 to f6. This is a great developing move! It brings a piece out from the corner and helps control the middle of the board.
7. 4.d3 Slide the d-pawn one square to d3, a light square. This quiet little step opens a path for your bishop on c1 and gives your bishop on c4 a steady home. A calm, solid move that keeps your strong center firm.
8. 4...Bc5 Black moves their bishop from f8 to c5. This is a good developing move that gets a strong piece into the game.
9. 5.O-O White moves their king from e1 to g1. This is a special move called kingside castling. It's a good developing move that helps keep your king safe!
10. 5...d6 Black nudges the d-pawn forward to d6, a dark square. This guards the pawn on e5 and frees the bishop on c8 to come out later. It's a careful, sturdy move that keeps Black's position nice and tidy.
11. 6.c3 White moves a pawn from c2 to c3. This is a small, safe step forward.
12. 6...a6 Black prepares ...b5 to challenge White's bishop on c4. This pawn move does not develop a piece and creates a potential weakness on b6.

Open the full annotated variation tree — free account

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.

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Bc5 5.O-O d6 6.c3 a6:

• a4 — played 15% of the time (White wins 51%, draws 3%, Black wins 46%)
• b4 — played 13.3% of the time (White wins 45.5%, draws 2.6%, Black wins 52%)
• Bb3 — played 13% of the time (White wins 51.5%, draws 2%, Black wins 46.5%)

Related openings

• Italian Game
• Evans Gambit
• Hungarian Defense
• Lolli Attack
• Jerome Gambit

Further reading

• Openings for kids

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.