Fried Liver Attack
Also known as Fegatello Attack
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7
A swashbuckling old gambit where White feeds a knight to f7 to yank Black's king out into the open on move six. The king goes for a frightening walk to e6, and White's pieces swarm in with check after check. It is pure attacking chess – thrilling to play, terrifying to face, and a brilliant way to learn how a king hunt really works.
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What it does
The Fried Liver arises from the Two Knights Defence after 4.Ng5, when White's knight and bishop both target the weak f7-square. If Black recaptures on d5 with the knight (rather than the safer 5...Na5), White plays 6.Nxf7, sacrificing the knight. After 6...Kxf7 the king is exposed with no shelter, and 7.Qf3+ Ke6 forces it forward to defend the loose knight on d5. White then pours pieces in – Nc3, d4, Re1 – pressing the over-worked king and the d5-knight, aiming to win back material with a raging initiative.
When to use it
Reach for it in sharp, attacking games – fast time controls, club play, or whenever you want to punish 5...Nxd5 over the calmer 5...Na5. It suits players who enjoy concrete calculation and king hunts, and it works best against opponents who walk into the d5 recapture without knowing the theory. Against well-prepared players it is double-edged, so treat it as a fighting weapon rather than a guaranteed win.
Why it works
The sacrifice works because Black's king is dragged into the centre with development barely begun, while every White piece flows toward it with tempo. The d5-knight is attacked and over-loaded, the king cannot easily run home, and White regains material in many lines while keeping the initiative. Engines judge the position as roughly balanced with precise defence, but it is extremely hard for a human to hold from the Black side, which is exactly why the attack scores so well.
Key ideas
- Sacrifice on f7 to expose the king before it can castle.
- Use Qf3+ to hit the king and the loose d5-knight together.
- Bring Nc3 in fast to pile on the over-worked d5-knight.
- Open the centre with d4 to drag more pieces into the hunt.
- Chase the king with checks, never letting it find shelter.
Watch out
Black can sidestep it with 5...Na5, hitting the c4-bishop instead of recapturing – then there is no Fried Liver and you must know wider Two Knights theory. Avoid grabbing material too greedily: if you stop checking and let the king settle, the extra knight can tell. Watch also for 4...Bc5, the Traxler, which counterattacks instead of defending f7.