How do you stop the Fried Liver Attack? After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5, play 5...Na5. Do not recapture with 5...Nxd5. In 3,062,092 Lichess games, Black scored 34% when players between 1000 and 1399 recaptured with the knight, and 52% when they played 5...Na5.
The trap in five moves
- e4 e5
- Nf3 Nc6
- Bc4 Nf6 (the Two Knights Defence)
- Ng5 d5
- exd5 Nxd5?
- Nxf7 Kxf7
- Qf3+ Ke6
- Nc3 Nb4
- O-O c6
- d4
White gave up a knight, and Black's king stands on e6, in the middle of the board. Stockfish 18 rates the position about +1.1 for White, a pawn ahead in value, with the king exposed. The bishop on c4 and the queen on f3 hit the same side of the board while Black's pieces are still at home.
Why 5...Na5 works
After 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5, f7 is attacked twice: by the knight on g5 and the bishop on c4. Recapturing on d5 with the knight does not deal with that. 5...Na5 does: it attacks the bishop. After 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3, White keeps an extra pawn, but Black is ahead in development and the engine rates the position almost equal (+0.18).
A safe line, checked by Stockfish 18:
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Bd3 Nd5 9.Nf3 Bd6 10.O-O O-O
What the engine says
| Black's 5th move | Stockfish 18 (White's view) | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 5...Na5 | +0.18 | Almost equal |
| 5...Nd4 | +0.64 | White is a little better |
| 5...b5 | +0.64 | White is a little better |
| 5...Nxd5 | +0.81 | White is clearly better |
The gap between 5...Na5 and 5...Nxd5 is about 0.6 of a pawn, not a lost game. In practice the gap is much bigger, because the position after 5...Nxd5 is easy for White to play and hard for Black.
What real players do
We looked at every game that reached 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 in our September 2026 sample.
| Rating | Games | Played 5...Nxd5 | Black scored | Played 5...Na5 | Black scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1000 | 716 | 70% | 40% | 15% | 58% |
| 1000–1399 | 3,711 | 54% | 34% | 30% | 52% |
| 1400–1799 | 3,366 | 29% | 38% | 49% | 51% |
| 1800+ | 1,712 | 8% | 35% | 65% | 51% |
The recapture is the most common move under 1400, and it is the worst result at every level. By 1800 hardly anyone plays it.
The trap is also common. In our study of which traps beginners fall for, the defender went wrong in 53% of games under 1000 and 47% at 1200–1399. It fell to 8% at 2000–2199.
Two other moves to know
- 4...Nxe4? 5.Bxf7+ White wins a pawn and drives the king out: Stockfish gives +2.05. It was played in about 6% of games at 1000–1399.
- 4...Bc5 5.Bxf7+ looks safe and is not: +1.17 for White. Only 4...d5 holds.
How to practise it
- Learn the five moves above.
- Learn the one rule: when two pieces attack f7, do not recapture with the knight. Hit the bishop.
- Practise in the free Trap Lab Fried Liver drill: you play the trapper, then the defender, and the tool scores every legal move.
How we measured it
- Games: 3,062,092 rated Lichess rapid and blitz games from September 2026 (CC0), players within 200 rating points. The Fried Liver table uses the 9,500-odd games that reached 5.exd5.
- Engine: Stockfish 18 at depth 17 on the positions shown. A different depth gives slightly different numbers.
- Limits: all ages; one month; Lichess ratings run higher than Chess.com's at the low end.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Fried Liver Attack? A White attack in the Two Knights Defence. After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5, White plays 6.Nxf7 to pull Black's king into the open.
How do you defend against the Fried Liver? Play 5...Na5 instead of 5...Nxd5. It attacks the bishop and avoids the sacrifice on f7.
Does the Fried Liver win? After 5...Nxd5 White is about a pawn better by the engine, and in 3 million games Black scored 34% at 1000–1399.
Is the Fried Liver good for beginners to play? It is a good lesson in attacking f7, but a better one to learn as a defender: half of players under 1400 go wrong against it.
Want your child to learn to stop attacks like this one before they happen? Book a free 30-minute trial class with our FIDE-rated coaches, or try the free Trap Lab.
