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Two Knights Defense: Black hits back with a knight instead of a bishop

On move three Black brings out a knight to attack e4, and the game turns sharp fast. The famous Fried Liver Attack comes from here.

Also called：Two Knights Defence、Fried Liver Attack

The Two Knights Defense is 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6. White sets up the Italian Game, but Black is in no hurry to bring out the bishop. Black jumps out the second knight instead and counterattacks White's pawn on e4. Things get sharp very quickly, and you'll run into it often in free online chess.

Moves and position

The first moves are the same as the Italian Game. The difference is Black's third move:

  1. 1. e4 e5 the two pawns meet head to head in the center.
  2. 2. Nf3 Nc6 White's knight attacks e5 and Black's knight defends it.
  3. 3. Bc4 White's bishop aims at f7.
  4. 3... Nf6 Black doesn't bring out the bishop. The knight comes out and attacks e4.

It's an active move, but it has a price: Black's bishop isn't out yet, so f7 is guarded only by the king. White can right away ask: should I hit f7 now?

What White wants

  • Knight to g5 to hit f7: 4. Ng5 lets the knight and bishop attack f7 together. It's the most direct and most famous way to play.
  • Calmly defend e4: 4. d3 protects e4 with a pawn. White develops and castles, steering the game back into a slow Italian.
  • Push d4 to open the center: 4. d4 White is even happy to give a pawn to develop faster and attack first.

What Black wants

  • Counterattack beats defense: the spirit of the Two Knights is "you hit me, I hit you." Black is often willing to give a pawn for a lead in development.
  • Stay calm after the knight comes to g5: against 4. Ng5, Black blocks the bishop's diagonal with 4... d5. That's the main reply.
  • Watch out for f7: the f7 square next to the king is weak. Until the bishop and queen are out, don't let your king get dragged out.

Main lines

Knight to g5: 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5

Black is a pawn down, but White's knight and bishop have been pushed back. Black is ahead in development and has more space.

After 4. Ng5, Black blocks the bishop with 4... d5. When White's pawn takes on d5, Black's best move is 5... Na5, attacking the bishop on c4, rather than taking back on d5 with the knight. Black gives up a pawn and gets a string of tempo-gaining moves chasing White's pieces. Plenty of strong players love this position.

The slow way: 4. d3

White defends e4 with d3. Both sides develop and castle slowly, and the position stays calm.

4. d3 isn't in a hurry. White makes sure e4 is safe, tucks the king away, and looks for chances later. You see this line a lot in professional games today, because it's safe and still has plenty of ideas.

Push in the center: 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O

White gives up the d4 pawn and castles first, getting ready to open things up with a rook on the e-file.

White opens the center with d4. After Black takes, White doesn't rush to take back and castles first. Black can grab the e4 pawn too, but White is far ahead in development, so both sides need to calculate carefully. This line suits players who like to attack.

A common trap: the Fried Liver Attack

After 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5, Black naturally wants to take the pawn back with the knight. But then the black knight stands on the white bishop's diagonal, and White can sacrifice a knight:

White's knight takes f7 and attacks the black queen and the rook on h8 at the same time.

Black's most natural reply is to take the knight with the king. But once the white queen comes out, the king gets dragged into the middle of the board:

To protect the knight on d5, the black king goes to e6. White's queen, bishop and knight all stare at d5, and the attack is fierce.

This is the famous Fried Liver Attack. White is a knight down, but the black king is stuck in the center with nowhere to hide, and in real games Black has a very hard time holding on. One story says the name comes from an Italian dish, describing the black king being "thrown in the pan."

Avoiding it is easy for Black: after 5. exd5, don't take back on d5 with the knight. Play 5... Na5 and attack the white bishop. Remember this: while f7 is still weak, don't park your pieces on your opponent's diagonals.

Who it suits

  • Black players who like to fight back: the Two Knights counterattacks from the start, and the games are lively.
  • Players who want to learn tactics: f7, diagonals, sacrifices to attack. It's all here, and it's great practice for calculation.
  • White players who want a calm game: play 4. d3 and skip the complications.

It differs from the Italian Game only in Black's third move: in the Italian, Black brings out the bishop and plays it safe; in the Two Knights, Black brings out the knight and hits back right away.

Frequently asked questions

Are the Two Knights Defense and the Italian Game the same opening?

The first three moves are the same: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. If Black plays 3... Bc5, it's the Italian Game; 3... Nf6 makes it the Two Knights Defense. Some books cover them together.

Is 4. Ng5 too risky for White?

Not really. 4. Ng5 is a perfectly normal move. White attacks f7, and Black usually has to give a pawn to catch up in development. The truly risky move is the later knight sacrifice 6. Nxf7, which only works after Black makes a mistake.

What should Black do against the Fried Liver Attack?

The best way is not to let it happen: after 5. exd5, play 5... Na5 and don't take back on d5 with the knight. If you're already in the Fried Liver, keep the king back, protect the knight on d5, and get your bishop and queen out to defend as fast as you can.

Try it yourself

Use the button below to start a game against the computer from the Two Knights position, and try both 4. Ng5 and 4. d3. To see other openings, go back to the openings guide. For moves like 6. Nxf7 that attack two pieces at once, read about the fork. And you can always go back home to play chess against the computer.

Play this opening against the computer

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