The Best Refutation Ever: Pt. 1

Everyone has lost a game in the Knight Attack when they were a beginner, falling for some trap or other, like the mainline of the Fried Liver Attack, or just plain losing a piece by getting forked on move 4.

However, I commonly play a special refutation, and no one I have played against knows how to defend against it, either falling to a common trap and resigning, or just leaving me with a slightly better position!

This... is the Ulvestad Variation, The Best Refutation Ever for the Knight Attack. Yes, the Traxler is very sharp, and the Polerio leaves you with a good position down a pawn, but the Ulvestad just leaves you with a better position overall, leaving you either equal or up in material, with a good position. (Sorry Traxler and Polerio fans, I used to be one, but now I'm not.)

The Ulvestad seems like one of those crazy gambits/games/openings Hikaru plays.

However, this position... is actually very good for White, with your opponent having to make the best moves to keep it level. 

In order for your opponent to keep an advantage, they have to play some crazy-looking moves, which they will only know if they have studied the variation(Which most people won't have) or if they are using Chess.com Explorer or Stockfish.)

Punish your opponent by playing the Ulvestad. It works.

(Pt. 2 coming when I have more time, future parts explain the variations and moves of the Ulvestad, which there aren't many. If you can't wait, grab the engine, the explorer, and look onwards.)

Not bad. I'll look into it

The ulvestad is not a refutation to the Fried Liver at all, it's even worst than the Traxler, White needs to know a few lines to just stay up a pawn with a better position, I think Wesley So did a good job refuting this line on his Chessable course

Can you show me a refutation?

Computer cannot find one.

Traxler is a draw with perfect play

there's probably no direct refutation, but i'm pretty sure bf1 instead of bxb5 is the best move

Nice.

Interesting. How so?

i think it's something do with the fact that after bxb5 qxd5, black gains some kind of initiative, but after bf1 qxd5, white can play nc3 to attack the queen and still get the pawn

Ah, thanks.

Honestly unless the opponent comes prepared for this black should get a bit better

Under 2000, no one will be prepared for bf1.

Bf1 gives a advantage for White, but not enough to be exploited below 1900-2000.

There’s a reason why people don’t play the ulvestad. And btw the knight attack is not refuted at all.