The classic Fried Liver is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5!?

The best way to defend is to play 4....d5. Any other move would be a mistake because your f7 pawn is very weak and Nxf7 is played you would lose either a queen or rook. White's response would be 5.exd5 and then black would most likely play either 5....Nxd5 or 5....Na5. Because 5....Nxd5 is most likely, I will go over it.

6. Nxf7

Seems very very bad. It really isn't bad at all. You expose black's king into the center after 6....Kxf7.

Play usually continues 7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Nc3. Black will play 8...Nb4 or 8...Ne7 and follow up with ...c6, bolstering his pinned knight on d5. If Black plays 8...Nb4, White can force the b4-knight to abandon protection of the d5-knight with 9.a3?! Nxc2+ 10.Kd1 Nxa1 11.Nxd5, sacrificing a rook, but current analysis suggests that the alternatives 9.Qe4, 9.Bb3 and 9.0-0 are stronger.

Try not to fall for 7....Kg8??????? which makes checkmate in 3 for white that involves a queen sac.

Plum Grove JR High

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