Fried Liver Attack - Steinitz Variation (9.Nh3)
After 8.Be2, Black plays 8...h6 to kick your knight back. Meet it with 9.Nh3, and after 9...Bxh3 10.gxh3 Bc5, castle and follow with 12.Nc3, eyeing d5. You get the bishop pair and a queenside majority, against Black's isolated c6 pawn, while your own f-pawn and doubled h-pawns need care.
Let's learn the Suhle Defense! Black blocks our check with c6, challenging our bishop. We retreat the bishop to e2 and later bring our knight to c3. Let's begin with 1.e4.
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Scroll the moves: the board follows.
Key lines
The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.
- Main Line
… 9... Bxh3 10. gxh3 Bc5 11. O-O O-O 12. Nc3
- 9...Bc5
… 9. Nh3 Bc5 10. O-O O-O 11. d3 Nb7 12. Nc3
- 9...Bc5
… 9. Nh3 Bc5 10. O-O Bxh3 11. gxh3 O-O 12. Nc3
- 9...Bd6
… 9. Nh3 Bd6 10. O-O Bxh3 11. gxh3 Qd7 12. Bg4 Nxg4 13. Qxg4 f5 14. Qg6+ Kd8 15. d3
- 9...Bd6
… 9. Nh3 Bd6 10. O-O Bxh3 11. gxh3 O-O 12. Nc3
- 9...Bd6
… 9. Nh3 Bd6 10. O-O O-O 11. Nc3
- 10...Qd5
… 10. gxh3 Qd5 11. O-O Bc5 12. Nc3 Qe6 13. Bg4 Nxg4 14. hxg4
- 10...Qd5
… 10. gxh3 Qd5 11. O-O Bd6 12. Nc3 Qe6 13. Bg4 Nxg4 14. hxg4
- 11...Qd7
… 11. O-O Qd7 12. Bg4 Nxg4 13. Qxg4 f5 14. Qg6+ Qf7 15. Qxf7+ Kxf7 16. d3
- 11...Ne4
… 11. O-O Ne4 12. Bf3 Qg5+ 13. Bg2 Nxf2 14. Rxf2 Bxf2+ 15. Kxf2 O-O 16. d3
Other chapters
Polerio Defense (6...Bd7)
After 6.Bb5+, Black blocks with ...Bd7, then plays ...Bd6 and castles kingside. Meet it with Qe2, defending your bishop and eyeing e5, then O-O, Bxd7, Nc3, dxc6 and d3 to cover e4. Aim for a position where you hold a queenside pawn majority.
8 linesFried Liver Attack (6.Nxf7)
After 4...d5 and 5...Nxd5, strike with 6.Nxf7 and 7.Qf3+, launching the Fried Liver Attack. Follow up with 8.Nc3, 9.O-O, 10.d4, and 13.Rd1, improving every piece. Watch for the common mistakes 10...Nxc2 and 11...Nxa1, both of which we punish. You reach a winning position with a passed e5 pawn against Black's isolated d5 pawn.
7 linesFritz Variation (5...Nd4)
After 4...d5 5.exd5, Black retreats with 5...Nd4 into the Fritz Variation. Meet it with 6.c3, let 7.Bf1 bait ...Nxd5, then hit back with 8.cxd4 and 9.Bxb5+. Watch for 11.d3? Nf4 mate, so play 11.Qf3 instead, hitting f7. You'll often reach a position with doubled isolated d-pawns but strong piece activity.
8 linesUlvestad Variation (5...b5)
After 4...d5 5.exd5, Black strikes with ...b5, hitting your bishop on c4. Retreat with 6.Bf1, then meet ...Nxd5 with Bxb5, d4, O-O, Qh5 and Qh6, pinning the e7 bishop with Re1. Watch the Qxd5 line, where Bxc6+ can win Black's queen. You aim for active piece play with a queenside pawn majority.
11 linesTraxler Counterattack (4...Bc5)
Castle, play Nc3, and jump Nd5+ when possible, meeting ...h6 with Qh5+ then Nb6, hitting the rook and threatening mate on f7. Watch for ...Bg4 tries, since Nd5+ there just wins material. Aim for a safe king and a kingside pawn majority.
9 linesPonziani-Steinitz Gambit (4...Nxe4)
The opponent blunders with 4...Nxe4. Reply 5.Bxf7+ Ke7 6.d4, then after 6...Nxd4 7.c3 Nc6 8.Bb3 Nf6, play 9.Nf7 with a plan of Nxh8 and Bg5, pinning the f6 knight. Watch for 7...Nc6, a common mistake that traps Black's king in the center.
3 lines
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