Fried Liver Attack
Encyclopedia
The Fried Liver Attack, also called the Fegatello Attack (named after an Italian
idiom meaning "dead as a piece of liver"), is a chess opening
. This colourfully named opening is a variation of the Two Knights Defense
in which White sacrifices
a knight
for a superficially impressive attack on Black's king
. The opening begins with the moves:
This is the Two Knights Defense
where White has chosen the offensive line 4.Ng5, but Black's last move is risky (other Black choices include 5...Na5, 5... Bg4, 5...b5, and 5...Nd4). White can now get an advantage with 6.d4 (the Lolli Attack). However, The Fried Liver Attack involves a far more spectacular knight sacrifice on f7, defined by the moves:
The Fried Liver has been known for many centuries, the first known game score being from Rome in 1610.
The opening is classified as code C57 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
(ECO) .
Because defence is harder to play than attack in this variation when given short time limits, the Fried Liver is dangerous for Black in over-the-board play, if using a short time control
. It is also especially effective against weaker players who may not be able to find the correct defences. Sometimes Black invites White to play the Fried Liver Attack in correspondence chess
or in over-the-board games with longer time limits (or no time limit), as the relaxed pace affords Black a better opportunity to refute the White sacrifice.
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
idiom meaning "dead as a piece of liver"), is a chess opening
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
. This colourfully named opening is a variation of the Two Knights Defense
Two Knights Defense
The Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century....
in which White sacrifices
Sacrifice (chess)
In chess, a sacrifice is a move giving up a piece in the hopes of gaining tactical or positional compensation in other forms. A sacrifice could also be a deliberate exchange of a chess piece of higher value for an opponent's piece of lower value....
a knight
Knight (chess)
The knight is a piece in the game of chess, representing a knight . It is normally represented by a horse's head and neck. Each player starts with two knights, which begin on the row closest to the player, one square from the corner...
for a superficially impressive attack on Black's king
King (chess)
In chess, the king is the most important piece. The object of the game is to trap the opponent's king so that its escape is not possible . If a player's king is threatened with capture, it is said to be in check, and the player must remove the threat of capture on the next move. If this cannot be...
. The opening begins with the moves:
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Nf3 Nc6
- 3. Bc4 Nf6
- 4. Ng5 d5
- 5. exd5 Nxd5
This is the Two Knights Defense
Two Knights Defense
The Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century....
where White has chosen the offensive line 4.Ng5, but Black's last move is risky (other Black choices include 5...Na5, 5... Bg4, 5...b5, and 5...Nd4). White can now get an advantage with 6.d4 (the Lolli Attack). However, The Fried Liver Attack involves a far more spectacular knight sacrifice on f7, defined by the moves:
- 6. Nxf7 Kxf7
The Fried Liver has been known for many centuries, the first known game score being from Rome in 1610.
The opening is classified as code C57 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
(ECO) .
Considerations
Play usually continues 7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Nc3 (see diagram). Black will play 8...Nb4 or 8...Ne7 and follow up with ...c6, bolstering his pinned knight on d5. White has a strong attack, but it has not been proven to be decisive.Because defence is harder to play than attack in this variation when given short time limits, the Fried Liver is dangerous for Black in over-the-board play, if using a short time control
Time control
A time control is a mechanism in the tournament play of almost all two-player board games so that each round of the match can finish in a timely way and the tournament can proceed. Time controls are typically enforced by means of a game clock...
. It is also especially effective against weaker players who may not be able to find the correct defences. Sometimes Black invites White to play the Fried Liver Attack in correspondence chess
Correspondence chess
Correspondence chess is chess played by various forms of long-distance correspondence, usually through a correspondence chess server, through email or by the postal system; less common methods which have been employed include fax and homing pigeon...
or in over-the-board games with longer time limits (or no time limit), as the relaxed pace affords Black a better opportunity to refute the White sacrifice.
Further reading
- Computer Analysis of the Fried Liver and Lolli, Dan HeismanDan HeismanDan Heisman is a United States Chess Federation National Master and author. He is the two-time Open chess champion of Philadelphia , and the Philadelphia Invitational Chess Champion . His Penn State team won the U.S. Amateur Team Championship in 1972...
, Chessbase CHNESO001U - Re-Fried Liver, by Jon Edwards, Chess LifeChess LifeChess Life is a monthly chess magazine published in the United States. The official publication of the United States Chess Federation , it reaches more than a quarter of a million readers every month. A subscription to Chess Life is one of the benefits of Full Adult, Youth, or Life membership in...
, July 2009, pp. 32–34.
External links
- The Fried Liver Attack blog by GM Boris AltermanBoris AltermanBoris Alterman is an Israeli chess Grandmaster, FIDE Senior Trainer , advisor of the Junior chess program....