Learn › Lessons › Openings › Opening basics

Fried Liver Attack

A wild attack on f7: White sacrifices a knight to pull the black king into the open. Black should avoid it with 5...Na5, but you must know the danger!

Beginner · Opening basics · 18 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Fried Liver Attack (C57). You play White. A wild attack on f7: White sacrifices a knight to pull the black king into the open. Black should avoid it with 5...Na5, but you must know the danger!

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 336k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Bc4

White plays bishop to c4. It develops the bishop into the game. It controls the centre (d5). Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 293k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 64k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Ng5

White plays knight to g5. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 16% of 28k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It attacks the bishop on c4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 95% of 4761 games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.exd5

White plays pawn takes d5. It captures the pawn on d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It gains space. It attacks the knight on c6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 4245 games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Nxd5

Black plays knight takes d5. It captures the pawn on d5. It takes a centre square (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 1% of 4520 games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Nxf7

White plays knight takes f7. It captures the pawn on f7. It controls the centre (e5). The knight on f7 attacks the queen and the rook at the same time: a fork! Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 62% of 79 games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...Kxf7

Black plays king takes f7. It captures the knight on f7.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Qf3+

White plays queen to f3. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It pins the knight on d5. It gives check.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...Ke6

Black plays king to e6. It controls the centre (d5, e5).

Step 16

♜︎♝︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♚︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5).

Step 17

♜︎♝︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♚︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8...Nb4

Black plays knight to b4. It controls the centre (d5). It attacks the pawn on c2.

Step 18

♜︎♝︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♞︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Fried Liver Attack. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

Open the lesson on the board · free, no account needed to read it.

More lessons in Opening basics

Next lesson: Queen's Gambit