Avoiding the Fried Liver: The Hungarian Defense

Submitted by FM FM_Eric_Schiller on Fri, 09/04/2009 at 12:51pm.

Many players are afraid to play the Two Knights Defense as black because they fear the dreaded Fried Liver Attack and 4.Ng5 lines in general. Of course this can be avoided byselecting the Italian game but then one has to cope with the ferocious Evans Gambit.

In this article I discuss a third way, the Hungarian defense, which has proven useful to many of my scholastic students. It is a very solid choice and is easy to play, with almost no critical variations. Take a look at the following games and see if this opening might not fit into your own repertoire.

» posted in Opening Theory

| 3987 reads | 12 comments |

1 vote:

Comments:

by BirdBrain - 11 months ago
KY United States

Member Since: Apr 2008
Member Points: 4959

http://www.chess.com/tournament/hungarian-defense

I have just set up a Hungarian Defense tourney, if anyone is interested!

by Jpatrick - 2 years ago
Pennsylvania United States

Member Since: Jul 2008
Member Points: 1231

The move order that I've faced most often to get into a Hungarian is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 d6 4.d4 Be7

The Hungarian Defense is one of those openings that permits Black to take the fireworks off the board and steer the game into positional channels. The resulting positions often resemble an Old Indian defense, and the plans that work in that opening tend to work here as well.

by gsorita - 2 years ago
Philippines

Member Since: Dec 2007
Member Points: 117

nice article

by NM Michelangelooo - 2 years ago
Ergens in Netherlands

Member Since: Jun 2008
Member Points: 123

Interesting stuff.

I don't expect that Roos lost on time AFTER he (and Ivkov as well) played move 40.

by SerbianChessStar - 2 years ago
Belgrade Serbia

Member Since: May 2009
Member Points: 4012

Great article!

Ill be sure to use this opening!

by FM FM_Eric_Schiller - 2 years ago
San Jose, CA United States

Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 993

Pushing the pawn and closing the center is not good. Black will eventually counterattack with ...f5.

by Gwyllem - 2 years ago
Mexico

Member Since: Jan 2009
Member Points: 968

In the '62 Karpov game you can still push the kt on move 6 instead of trading pawns.

by FM FM_Eric_Schiller - 2 years ago
San Jose, CA United States

Member Since: Jul 2007
Member Points: 993

Fixed!

by gambit156 - 2 years ago
mumbai India

Member Since: Jun 2009
Member Points: 702

gud........

but no game of Paoli Vs. Medancic

by LYCAN148 - 2 years ago
Auckland New Zealand

Member Since: Sep 2007
Member Points: 1417

um,there is no game on Paoli vs. Medancic

by NM GreenLaser - 2 years ago
Chester, NY United States

Member Since: Oct 2007
Member Points: 2348

Eric, I agree that this opening is good way for young students to develop and avoid early attacks on f7 as well as attacks (d4/b4) on the alternative Bc5. I also have used this with my students. This way they can just get used to safely getting through the early opening and get practice. Later on, other choices can be examined.

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