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Do you want to win against the Fried Liver Attack as Black? Then try the Ponziani-Steinitz Gambit!

This might be especially relevant to you if you’re a beginner player, or early intermediate player. I remember that I used to dread facing against the Fried Liver Attack with Black as a beginner chess player – so much so, that I avoided playing the Two Knights Defense against the Italian Game. However, this resulted in getting the Giuoco Piano lines, which I also didn’t like.

We can use this to our advantage! The Ponziani-Steinitz Gambit begins with a surprising and aggressive capture of White’s e4 pawn when they attempt the Knight Attack – which signals the intent of the Fried Liver Attack (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Ng5 Nxe4). Now, this IS a gambit. Stockfish evaluates this as a straight up mistake [+2.5]. However, if White continues to blindly continue the Fried Liver Attack, the evaluation immediate gives us a slight advantage, and indeed, we have the opportunity for a massive counterattack where a checkmate in the opening is possible!

In this game, my opponent thought about my gambit carefully, and then played the correct response (5. Bxf7+). As a player of this gambit, you need to know how to respond as it is [+2.5] after all, but this game is a great demonstration that White has many more opportunities to make a devastating mistake. I have a forced bongcloud, advancing the king forward (5… Ke7). White, feeling exposed and skittish, thinks for over a minute before withdrawing the bishop (6. Bd5), which unfortunately for them, is a blunder [-1.5] as they’ve hung their knight.

Now, I still need to be careful as my king and queen are on the same dark square diagonal. However, White seemed to want to immediately clarify the position and relieve the tension, trading their dark square bishop for my knight. I can see the logic – I end up with doubled g-pawns, and White removes one of my developed pieces. However, this was a mistake as I get more than adequate compensation. Firstly, the threat of their bishop skewering my king to my queen is gone. Secondly, I now have a semi-open h-file controlled by my rook – keep an eye on that file! With my king having moved forward, where tactically possible, I would want to advance my king as an active piece. So having an open h-file potentially on the side that White might castle is a powerful tactical resource.

And the middle game ends up in my favour. Although my king cannot castle, it is safe in the centre especially with my pawns controlling the centre. White’s lack of development allows me to attack their king in the centre, forcing it to move and nullifying my castling disadvantage. I convert my material advantage by forcing piece trades – winning tempo and simplifying the position. On move 20, I calculated a line where I could force win one of White’s rooks, and possibly both. On move 25, I suffered a bit from tunnel vision; I saw that winning the other rook was possible and missed the fact that I had an obvious ladder mate along that open h-file! However, this didn’t matter. A few moves later, I had trapped White’s knight, their final piece, in the centre of the board and they resigned. GG!

Game on chess.com: https://www.chess.com/game/live/82868504425

[Event "Live Chess"]
[Site "Chess.com"]
[Date "2023.07.12"]
[Round "-"]
[White "W1zeeeeeee"]
[Black "vitualis"]
[Result "0-1"]
[Timezone "UTC"]
[ECO "C57"]
[ECOUrl "https://www.chess.com/openings/Italian-Game-Knight-Attack-Ponziani-Steinitz-Gambit"]
[UTCDate "2023.07.12"]
[UTCTime "02:41:57"]
[WhiteElo "1335"]
[BlackElo "1417"]
[TimeControl "900+10"]
[Termination "vitualis won by resignation"]
[StartTime "02:41:57"]
[EndDate "2023.07.12"]
[EndTime "03:05:30"]
[Link "https://www.chess.com/game/live/82868504425"]
[WhiteUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/286590399.8ad8a112.50x50o.8f9b43e0dfa6.jpg"]
[WhiteCountry "111"]
[WhiteTitle ""]
[BlackUrl "https://images.chesscomfiles.com/uploads/v1/user/3711094.f52a0759.50x50o.ab18600a8723.png"]
[BlackCountry "17"]
[BlackTitle ""]

1. e4 {[%clk 0:15:07.9]} 1... e5 {[%clk 0:15:06.4]} 2. Nf3 {[%clk 0:15:13]} 2...
Nc6 {[%clk 0:15:14.6]} 3. Bc4 {[%clk 0:14:56.9]} 3... Nf6 {[%clk 0:15:20.9]} 4.
Ng5 {[%clk 0:15:01.1]} 4... Nxe4 $5 {[%clk 0:15:29.5][%c_effect
e4;square;e4;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Italian Game: Two Knights
Defense, Knight Attack, Ponziani-Steinitz Gambit [+2.5]} 5. Bxf7+ {[%clk
0:14:13.9]} 5... Ke7 {[%clk 0:15:37.7]} 6. Bd5 $4 {[%clk 0:13:14.5][%c_effect
d5;square;d5;type;Blunder;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d2d4;keyPressed;none;from;d2;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false] It's interesting how
quickly playing against the Ponziani-Steinitz Gambit can go terribly wrong for
White $1 This is a blunder as White has hung their knight [-1.5]} 6... Nxg5 {[%clk
0:15:42.3]} 7. d3 $2 {[%clk 0:12:42.8][%c_arrow
d2d4;keyPressed;none;from;d2;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false][%c_effect
d3;square;d3;type;Mistake;persistent;true] For those unfamiliar with these
lines, it is easy to make mistakes [-3]} 7... h6 $6 {[%clk 0:15:17.7][%c_effect
h6;square;h6;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
g5e6;keyPressed;none;from;g5;opacity;0.8;to;e6;persistent;false][%c_highlight
e6;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;e6;persistent;false] This wasn't the most
accurate move, but it's still fine [-2.7]. I was wary of the a future risk of
Bg5+ skewer of my king against my queen.} 8. Bxg5+ $2 {[%clk 0:12:49.7][%c_effect
g5;square;g5;type;Mistake;persistent;true][%c_arrow
f2f4;keyPressed;none;from;f2;opacity;0.8;to;f4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
f4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;f4;persistent;false] This was an impatient
move, which was a mistake [-4.2]} 8... hxg5 {[%clk 0:15:21.8][%c_arrow
h8h1;keyPressed;shift;from;h8;opacity;0.8;to;h1;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h8;keyPressed;alt;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false] Although I double my
g-pawns, I now have a semi-open h-file. My king has already lost the right to
castle and where tactically possible, advancing the king as an active piece will
be the goal.} 9. Qf3 {[%clk 0:12:40]} 9... Qe8 {[%clk 0:14:34.8]} 10. Qf5 {[%clk
0:12:26]} 10... Qh5 {[%clk 0:13:51.3]} 11. Bf3 {[%clk 0:12:32.4]} 11... d5
{[%clk 0:12:08.4]} 12. Bxh5 {[%clk 0:11:35]} 12... Bxf5 {[%clk 0:12:15.2]} 13.
g4 {[%clk 0:11:18.8]} 13... Nd4 {[%clk 0:11:29.5]} 14. Kd2 {[%clk 0:10:37.5]}
14... Nf3+ {[%clk 0:10:38.8]} 15. Ke3 {[%clk 0:10:43.2]} 15... Bxg4 $5 {[%clk
0:09:50.5][%c_effect g4;square;g4;type;Interesting;persistent;true] Stockfish
consider this a mistake [-6.2 $37 -4.3] but it's still perfectly okay for me, it's
a bit tricky, and it forces a simplication of the position} 16. Bxg4 {[%clk
0:10:37.7]} 16... Nxh2 {[%clk 0:09:57.5]} 17. Rg1 $6 {[%clk 0:09:46.8][%c_effect
g1;square;g1;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
e3d2;keyPressed;none;from;e3;opacity;0.8;to;d2;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d2;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d2;persistent;false] An inaccuracy [-5.5].
Although this defends the bishop, it strategically doesn't work as I'm on a goal
of simplification and want to trade pieces.} 17... Nxg4+ {[%clk 0:09:47.4]} 18.
Rxg4 {[%clk 0:09:52.3]} 18... Rh3+ {[%clk 0:09:55.9]} 19. f3 {[%clk 0:09:39.7]}
19... Kf6 {[%clk 0:09:59.4] The king is an active piece $1} 20. Nc3 {[%clk
0:09:22.5]} 20... Bc5+ $6 {[%clk 0:10:03.3][%c_effect
c5;square;c5;type;Inaccuracy;persistent;true][%c_arrow
d5d4;keyPressed;none;from;d5;opacity;0.8;to;d4;persistent;false][%c_highlight
d4;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;d4;persistent;false] Stockfish calls this
move an inaccuracy [-6.2 $37 -5.5] as d4+ is a direct absolute fork that wins the
knight. However, I calculated a high probability of winning one of White's
rooks, and possibly both down this line, which would force a winning endgame for
me.} 21. Ke2 {[%clk 0:08:35.4]} 21... Rh2+ {[%clk 0:09:16.4]} 22. Kf1 {[%clk
0:07:52.8]} 22... Rh1+ {[%clk 0:09:22.1]} 23. Kg2 {[%clk 0:07:59.8]} 23... Rxa1
{[%clk 0:09:25.6] Crushing $1 [-11]} 24. Nxd5+ {[%clk 0:08:07.3]} 24... Kg6 {[%clk
0:09:15.2]} 25. Nxc7 $4 {[%clk 0:07:48.3][%c_effect
c7;square;c7;type;Blunder;persistent;true] A blunder [-M3]} 25... Rg1+ {[%clk
0:09:12.6]} 26. Kh3 {[%clk 0:07:55.5]} 26... Rxg4 {[%clk 0:09:22][%c_arrow
a8h8;keyPressed;none;from;a8;opacity;0.8;to;h8;persistent;false][%c_highlight
h8;keyPressed;none;opacity;0.8;square;h8;persistent;false] I had a bit of tunnel
vision of forcing the game into an endgame that I didn't see the checkmate
line $1} ({The tactical advantage of the opened h-file $1 Unfortunately, I didn't
see this in the game.} 26... Rh8+ 27. Rh4 Rxh4#) 27. Kxg4 {[%clk 0:08:02.9]}
27... Rc8 {[%clk 0:09:16.6]} 28. Ne6 {[%clk 0:08:05.2]} 28... Be3 {[%clk
0:09:13.8]} 29. c4 {[%clk 0:08:07.9]} 29... Kf6 {[%clk 0:08:43][%c_effect
f6;square;f6;type;Winner,g4;square;g4;type;ResignWhite] And the knight is
trapped. White resigns, GG $1} 0-1