The Fried Liver, with Nxf7!!

Hey everyone!

I wanted to share an interesting analysis I did, featuring the Fried Liver Attack. White gets aggressive early with Ng5 and follows up with Nxf7, a classic knight sacrifice to bust open Black’s kingside. Here's the game link with my full analysis:
👉 Check it out on Chess.com

Game Overview:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Bc4 Nf6

4. Ng5 d5

5. exd5 Nxd5

Here Black chooses 5...Nxd5 instead of the more solid 5...Na5. I added a small side line in the comments showing how things could go wrong after 5...Na5 6. Bb5+ etc.

Line that I analysed:
6. Nxf7 Kxf7
7. Qf3+ Ke6

White now gains tempo with checks and development. Notice that Ke6 is a risky choice! Black’s king ends up stuck in the center with White’s pieces flying out rapidly.

8. Nc3 Nb4

9. Bb3

And Black is already in deep trouble. Their king is exposed, development is lagging, and the queenside knight is awkward on b4.

A few key side lines I explored:

• 6...Ke7 and 6...Kd7 both lead to sharp positions, but White always gets a strong initiative.

• 7...Kg6?! is a trap! White plays Bxd5 and can follow with Qg3+.

Final Thoughts:
This game is a good reminder of how dangerous the Fried Liver can be if Black isn’t extremely careful. I think after 4. Ng5, Black needs to avoid 5...Nxd5 unless they're really prepped.

Would love to hear your thoughts or if you’d handle the defense differently as Black. I’m still exploring the lines, and feedback is always welcome!

EDIT:

Thanks kindaspongey! The following is the Polerio defense, one of the main lines against the fried liver. This is an analysis made by ToastBread_1, so thank you too!