Fried Liver Attack
Two Knights Defense · intermediate · set by White
A real knight sacrifice on f7 that drags Black's king into the open.
After Black develops naturally into the Two Knights Defense and recaptures on d5 with the knight, that knight is undefended and pinned to the king's path. White sacrifices a knight on f7 to force the king out, then hits it with a check that also attacks the wandering knight — White never regains full material but gets a ferocious, long-lasting attack. The safer path for Black is recapturing with the other knight instead, sidestepping the whole sacrifice.
Move by move
- 1. e4: Opens the center.
- 1... e5: Standard reply.
- 2. Nf3: Develops toward the center.
- 2... Nc6: Develops, defending e5.
- 3. Bc4: Aims at f7 again, just like Scholar's Mate.
- 3... Nf6: Natural developing move — but it walks into the sacrifice.
- 4. Ng5: The knight jumps in, attacking f7 directly.
- 4... d5: A natural central strike, opening lines.
- 5. exd5: White captures, and now Black must recapture.
- 5... Nxd5 (the mistake): The natural recapture — but this knight is now undefended and in the firing line. This is the risky choice.
- 6. Nxf7: White sacrifices the knight on f7, forcing the king to move.
- 6... Kxf7: Forced — nothing else recaptures safely.
- 7. Qf3+: Check, and this move also attacks Black's wandering knight on d5.
- 7... Ke6: The only square that gets the king to (relative) safety.
- 8. Nc3: White develops with tempo, keeping the attack rolling with the king stuck in the center.
Safe instead: Na5