Italian Game: Fried Liver Attack
When the knight sacrifice on f7 works, how White follows it up, and how Black avoids it with 5…Na5.
Why this line is worth knowing
The Fried Liver Attack, also known as the Fegatello, arises in the Italian Game when Black chooses the Two Knights Defense: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7. White gives a knight for a pawn and in return gains time to develop while the black king stands in the middle of the board.
The move 6.Nxf7 alone is not enough. The sacrifice pays off only if White knows what to play next: a queen check from f3, then fast development.
- White needs open lines while the black king is in the center.
- Black’s simplest way out is 5…Na5. If the sacrifice has already been accepted, Black has to defend the d5 knight and finish developing.
- If you learn 6.Nxf7 and nothing after it, the sacrifice turns into a lost knight.
How to study the Fried Liver Attack
Watch Black’s fifth move
The sacrifice on f7 works only after 5…Nxd5. If Black has played 5…Na5, the position is a different one and the sacrifice is not there.
Remember the check 7.Qf3+
After 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 White checks at once with 7.Qf3+. To avoid losing the d5 knight, the king has to come out to e6.
After the check, bring out your pieces
Nc3, d4, O-O and Re1 usually matter more than an extra pawn: while White is taking it, Black has time to hide the king.
Play through the lines
The sacrifice on f7 comes first. After it come the 5…Na5 defense and a line where Black takes the c2 pawn and runs into checks.
Black takes on d5 with the knight
After 5…Nxd5 the sacrifice on f7 works, and White can start calculating 6.Nxf7 right away.
What to remember at the board
White’s plan
- The check Qf3+ comes first, then Nc3, d4, O-O and Re1. White goes after pawns once the pieces are in play.
- The bishop on c4 pins the d5 knight for as long as the king stands on e6. Put pressure on that knight and on the e5 pawn.
- After the sacrifice, speed decides: White has to bring pieces out faster than Black can hide the king.
Black’s plan
- The safest course is to play 5…Na5 and never allow the sacrifice.
- If the sacrifice has been accepted, Black has to get through the first checks and finish development, even if that means giving material back.
- The moves …c6, …Ne7 and …Be6 help: they defend the d5 knight and close lines.
Common mistakes by White
- Attacking with the queen alone and leaving the other pieces at home.
- Looking for a forced mate in every line.
- Sacrificing on f7 after 5…Na5.
Tactical motifs
- The sacrifice on f7: only the king guards the square, so it is the king that has to take the knight.
- Qf3+ is a double attack: it checks the king and hits the d5 knight.
- While the king loses tempi, White opens the center and brings the rooks into play.
Three mistakes in this line
Black allows the sacrifice
6.Nxf7!
The g5 knight attacks f7, and the c4 bishop is already attacking the knight on d5. The sacrifice works.
White forgets the queen check
7.Qf3+
Only this check justifies the sacrifice. Without it White has given a knight for a pawn and has no attack.
White looks for the sacrifice after 5…Na5
6.Bb5+ and normal development
After 5…Na5 there is no sacrifice on f7: 6.Nxf7 loses the knight. The bishop goes to b5 with check, and then White finishes development.
Two miniatures with a blow on f7
Traps help you remember a motif, but you cannot build a repertoire on them. The Fried Liver is dangerous even to an opponent who avoids the trap: White is still ahead in development, and the black king is still in the center.
Fried Liver: mate on move nine
Black accepts the sacrifice and retreats the king to e8. Two moves later it is mate on f7.
After the check from f3, every king move hands White a tempo. On e8 the king abandons the d5 knight: the bishop takes it and threatens mate on f7, and 8…Nd4 does not stop the mate.
Legal’s Mate
The opening is different, but the blow is the same: the bishop on c4 strikes at f7. Black takes the queen on d1 and is mated in two moves.
Legal’s Mate is worth knowing alongside the Fried Liver. In both, White gives up a piece to get at a king that has not had time to castle.
Test yourself
Four questions on the lines above, each with one right answer.
White to move after 5…Nxd5. Which move starts the Fried Liver?
Choose an answer to reveal the explanation.
Black has taken the knight: 6…Kxf7. How does White continue the attack?
Choose an answer to reveal the explanation.
Black has played 5…Na5. Where should the bishop go?
Choose an answer to reveal the explanation.
White to move in the position from Legal’s Mate. Which move ends the game?
Choose an answer to reveal the explanation.
Practice positions
Two positions: in the first White sacrifices, in the second Black defends.
The moment for the sacrifice
White to move. Find the sacrifice that starts the attack.
Defending as Black
Black to move after 8.Nc3. Three white pieces attack the pinned knight on d5. Find the knight move that defends d5 and attacks the c2 pawn.
Frequently asked questions about the Fried Liver Attack
Is the Fried Liver Attack sound?
How does Black avoid the Fried Liver?
What is the main move after 6.Nxf7 Kxf7?
Should beginners learn the Fried Liver?
Find this attack in your own games
A line sticks once you have met it at the board. Go through a few of your own Italian Games and see where the sacrifice on f7 was possible.