Italian Game, Fried Liver, Fegatello, Polerio Defense

Italian Game

Definition

The Italian Game is one of the oldest recorded chess openings, beginning with the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4. White’s bishop goes to the central, highly-active c4 square, targeting the vulnerable f7-pawn and preparing rapid development.

Usage and Typical Continuations

Giuoco Piano (3…Bc5): A quiet, “slow game” leading to classical positions with symmetrical pawn structures.
Two Knights Defence (3…Nf6): Black invites sharp, tactical play. Lines such as the Fried Liver, Fegatello, and Polerio Defence all stem from here.
Evans Gambit (4. b4): A romantic era gambit where White sacrifices a pawn for rapid piece activity.

Strategic Ideas

The opening stresses rapid piece development, early king safety (usually via kingside castling), and a fight for central control. White often aims for d4 to seize space, while Black seeks harmonious piece placement and timely …d5 breaks.

Historical Significance

Dating to the 16th century, the Italian Game appears in the manuscripts of Greco, Polerio, and Lucena. It dominated romantic-era chess (e.g., “The Evergreen Game,” Anderssen – Dufresne, 1852). In modern times it experienced a revival at elite level; Magnus Carlsen used it successfully in the 2016 & 2018 World Championship matches.

Example Mini-Game

Both sides mobilize quickly; the thrust 6. d4 strikes in the center while pieces spring into action.

Interesting Facts

The line’s name comes from its extensive early analysis in Italy during the Renaissance.
Giulio Cesare Polerio’s notebooks (circa 1590) contained many ideas still considered main lines today.
Because the opening follows fundamental principles so closely, coaches often teach it to beginners, yet its complexity keeps it relevant for grandmasters.

Fried Liver Attack

Definition

The Fried Liver Attack is an ultra-tactical continuation of the Italian Game’s Two Knights Defence, arising after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5? 6. Nxf7! White snaps a pawn on f7 and simultaneously forks Black’s queen and rook.

How It Is Used

White sacrifices a knight to drag the black king into the center, aiming for a decisive attack. Black must navigate a minefield of forcing moves; precise defense is required to survive. Because 5…Nxd5? is dubious, masters instead choose the safer Polerio Defence (5…Na5) or the Traxler Counterattack (4…Bc5!?).

Typical Continuation

After 6…Kxf7 7.Qf3+ and 8.Nc3, White’s pieces flood the board while Black’s king stumbles in the center.

Practical & Historical Notes

The term “Fried Liver” is a literal translation of the Italian fegatello (“little liver”).
In scholastic chess the line is a feared weapon because one inexact move by Black can lead to a miniature.
At top level, the last time 5…Nxd5? appeared in a classical game was in the 1960s; computers confirm the refutation.

Interesting Anecdote

The attack featured in a famous simultaneous exhibition game where Emanuel Lasker defeated 22 opponents at once; one victim fell to the Fried Liver in only 17 moves, illustrating its lethal potential.

Fegatello Attack

Definition

“Fegatello” is the original Italian name for the sequence beginning with the Fried Liver sacrifice 6. Nxf7. In many texts the terms are interchangeable, but strictly speaking the Fegatello Attack refers to the position after 6…Kxf7 7.Qf3+, where Black’s king is marooned on e6.

Strategic Themes

Central King Exposure: White uses tempo-gaining checks (Qf3, Nc3, d4) to open lines.
Piece Activity vs. Material: White is a piece down but leads in development, aiming to convert via tactics.
Resourceful Defense: Black seeks to give back material (…Ne7, …c6) and run the king to safety.

Key Line

A classical illustration where White continues to harass the king, often regaining material with interest.

Historical Perspective

Giulio Cesare Polerio (late 16th c.) analyzed the line in handwritten notebooks. Later, Domenico Ponziani championed it. Though considered dubious for Black today, it shaped romantic-era attacking play and influenced concepts of time, initiative, and king safety.

Interesting Facts

Modern engines give White a double-digit evaluation after 7.Qf3+, yet many club players still fall victim to the attack.
“Taking the Fegatello” has become a slang phrase in some chess circles meaning “walking into a known trap.”

Polerio Defense

Definition

The Polerio Defense (also called the Polerio Variation or Polerio Gambit Declined) is Black’s principal antidote to White’s 5.exd5 in the Two Knights Defence: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Na5! Instead of greedily recapturing on d5, Black attacks the c4-bishop and stifles the Fried Liver idea.

Strategic Aims

Tempo Play: …Na5 hits the bishop, forcing B-retreat or intermezzo checks; Black recovers the d5-pawn later.
Safety First: By avoiding 5…Nxd5?, Black keeps the king secure and maintains material balance.
Counterattack: After regaining the pawn with …Nxc4 or …exd5, Black often obtains dynamic equality.

Main Continuations

6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 – The modern main line where both sides castle and an imbalanced middlegame ensues.
6.Be2 h6 7.Nf3 e4 – Black grabs space and challenges the knight.

Classic Example

Black regains the pawn on c6 and achieves solid development; the knight on a5 often reroutes to c4 or b7.

Name & Historical Context

Named after the 16th-century Italian analyst Giulio Cesare Polerio, whose work pre-dated even Greco’s. The move …Na5 was recommended in his notebook as the correct antidote to the speculative knight sacrifice.

Interesting Tidbits

Despite being 400+ years old, the line is still “theory”; grandmasters employ it in rapid and classical events.
In the 2021 FIDE Grand Prix, Alexander Grischuk used the Polerio Defense to neutralize Wesley So, showing its modern relevance.
Engines rate the position after 5…Na5 as roughly equal, proving Polerio’s analysis centuries ahead of its time.