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1.Opening

Fried Liver Attack

You play WhiteC57TrapBeginner

Every beginner should know it. If Black recaptures 5...Nxd5 in the Two Knights, White sacrifices on f7 and drags the king out.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 …

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Main Line: position after 9 moves8a7b6c5d4e3f2g1h
Main Line: position after 9 moves
2.Ideas

What the opening is about

Key ideas

  1. Ng5 + Bc4 doubles up on f7.
  2. If Black plays 5...Nxd5?, Nxf7! forks queen and rook.
  3. Qf3+ and Nc3 pile up on the pinned d5 knight.
  4. Know the good defense too: 5...Na5! (see Two Knights Defense for Black).
3.Main line

Main line · 17 moves

Main Line

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Your moves Opponent
No. White Black1
e4Grabs the center and opens diagonals for the queen and the light-squared bishop. The most popular first move in chess.
e5Black mirrors White, claiming an equal share of the center and freeing their own queen and bishop.
2
Nf3Develops toward the center and immediately attacks the e5 pawn. Knights before bishops is a good rule of thumb.
Nc6Defends e5 while developing a knight to its most natural square. Black also gains control of d4.
3
Bc4The Italian bishop, aiming at f7.
Nf6The Two Knights Defense: Black counterattacks e4 instead of copying with ...Bc5.
After 3…Nf6
After 3…Nf6
No. White Black4
Ng5Attacks f7 a second time (knight + bishop). It breaks the "don't move a piece twice" rule, but the threat is serious.
d5Blocks the bishop's path to f7.
5
exd5Takes the pawn.
Nxd5The natural recapture — but it's a mistake! It lets White sacrifice on f7. (Best is 5...Na5.)
6
Nxf7The Fried Liver sacrifice: the knight takes f7, forking the queen and the h8 rook.
Kxf7Black takes the knight; giving up the queen or rook isn't an option.
After 6…Kxf7
After 6…Kxf7
No. White Black7
Qf3+Check! And the queen attacks the d5 knight, which is pinned to the king by the c4 bishop.
Ke6The only way to keep the d5 knight defended. Black's king is now in the middle of the board.
8
Nc3Piles up on the pinned knight.
Nb4Defends d5 again and threatens ...Nxc2+.
9
O-OCastles so the rook can come to e1 and rip open the e-file toward the exposed king.
After 9.O-O
After 9.O-O
4.Play

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5.More

More 1.e4 openings