Openings 1.e4 e5: open games
Two Knights Defense: Fried Liver, Traxler and 4.d3 by Rating
3...Nf6 is the sharp answer to the Italian. Instead of developing the bishop with 3...Bc5, Black attacks e4 at once and dares White to go after f7 with 4.Ng5. Strong players mostly answer 4.d3 and keep it quiet; below 1200, 4.Ng5 is the most common reply.
C55Italian Game: Two Knights Defense
Games from this position (1600–1999): 87k
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
| Move | Played | Games | White · Draw · Black |
|---|---|---|---|
| 36% | 31k | ||
| 25% | 22k | ||
| 14% | 13k | ||
| 12% | 10k | ||
| 9% | 7,608 | ||
| 3% | 2,551 | ||
| 0.4% | 307 |
Plans for both sides
White
- 4.d3 is the modern main line: protect e4, castle, then c3, Re1 and Nbd2 as in the Giuoco Pianissimo.
- 4.Ng5 hits f7 a second time. After 4...d5 5.exd5 Black cannot simply take back on d5 without allowing a strong attack.
- 4.d4 opens the center at once. After 4...exd4 5.O-O you are in the Scotch Gambit, where quick development matters more than the pawn.
Black
- Against 4.Ng5, 4...d5 is the main answer. After 5.exd5 play 5...Na5: you give a pawn but chase the bishop and develop fast.
- The natural 5...Nxd5? lets White sacrifice on f7 (the Fried Liver) or play the even stronger 6.d4.
- The Traxler, 4...Bc5!?, ignores the threat and counterattacks f2. It is a gamble; learn it only if you enjoy chaos.
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Two Knights Defense at each rating
How often the position after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 comes up in rated Lichess games, how it scores and what players answer next.
| Rating | Games (Share of games) | White · Draw · Black | Top next move |
|---|---|---|---|
| <1200 | 76k2.5% | 4.Ng534% | |
| 1200–1599 | 125k2.1% | 4.d332% | |
| 1600–1999 | 87k1.4% | 4.d336% | |
| 2000+ | 22k1.1% | 4.d348% | |
| All | 309k1.8% | 4.d333% |
What usually comes next
The most played moves from here, all ratings together. Thicker line = played more often.
Main variations
The main line. Black is a pawn down but gains time: the white knight is pushed back and Black gets open lines and active pieces.
630 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 43%, 4% were drawn, Black won 52%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Na5 6.Bb5+ c6 7.dxc6 bxc6 8.Be2 h6 9.Nf3 e4 10.Ne5Black lets White take on f7 and answers 5.Nxf7 with 5...Bxf2+!, pulling the white king out. Strong players prefer 5.Bxf7+ Ke7, which keeps a calmer edge.
9,946 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 51%, 3% were drawn, Black won 46%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 Bc5A tricky defense: the knight covers e6 and hits c2. 6.c3 is the main answer. Below 1600 White scores only about 41% after 5...Nd4 in our games.
3,155 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 51%, 3% were drawn, Black won 46%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nd4 6.c3Quiet and the most common choice at the top. White protects e4 and builds slowly; Black develops with ...Be7 or ...Bc5, castles and plays ...d6 or ...d5.
Too rare in our data for numbers.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d3 Be7 5.O-O O-O 6.Re1 d6 7.c3White gives the d-pawn for development. In the old main line 5...Nxe4 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5, the pin on the e-file wins the material back.
1,120 games from this position (all ratings, any move order). White won 43%, 9% were drawn, Black won 48%.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.O-O Nxe4 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3
Common traps
Fried Liver: 5...Nxd5?
After 6.Nxf7! Kxf7 7.Qf3+ the black king must go to e6 to keep the d5 knight, and White piles up on the pinned knight with Nc3 and d4, then brings a rook to e1 against the exposed king. Over the board it is very hard to defend.
In our data, the last move of this line was played in 3,378 games.
Show on the board: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 Nxd5 6.Nxf7 Kxf7 7.Qf3+ Ke6 8.Nc3Advertisement
At club level
Below 1200 about two in three players answer 4.Ng5 d5 5.exd5 with the natural 5...Nxd5, and White then scores around 60%. At 2000+ two in three play 5...Na5. If you play 3...Nf6 as Black, 5...Na5 is the one line you must know.
Practice it
The trainer answers with the replies people at your rating choose, in the same proportions, and brings back your mistakes on a schedule.
Related openings
- King’s Pawn Game: 1.e4 e5
1.e4 e5
- King’s Knight Opening: 2.Nf3
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3
- Italian Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4
- Bishop’s Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4
- Philidor Defense
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 d6
- Scotch Game
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4