Chessy
Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense as Black
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6, you are already making a clear statement as Black. The position is still familiar, but White to move now has several practical choices, and the exact move order matters. This lesson helps you handle the position that follows, understand what the engine wants, and recognise the most common replies you should meet in your drills. Play the position against the engine and get used to steering the game into a structure you understand.
Play the Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense against the engine
Free, no signup — you play black, the engine adapts to your level.
Play the drill to practise the key replies, then create a free account to track your progress and repeat the position.
Create a free account →What this position says about the game
Stockfish rates this +0.77, a clear advantage for White. That means you are worse here, and you should treat the position as one where White has the easier game. The database supports that warning: across 26,872,923 games at this exact position, White scores 52.0%, draws 4.1%, and Black wins 43.9%. In other words, this is not a harmless curiosity; you need to know your ideas and be ready for White’s most direct replies.
The engine’s most forceful idea
The engine’s best move is d4, and the continuation given is d4 d6 dxe5 Bg4. That is the main route the drill is built around, so make sure you are comfortable meeting it move by move. The important lesson is simple: White should not waste time, and you should expect the central tension to appear quickly. In practice, your task is to react accurately when White opens the centre and tries to make your early h-pawn move matter.
What White usually tries here
The most-played continuation is d4, with 6,327,261 games and White scoring 55.5%. Other common choices are O-O, Nc3, c3, d3, and a3. That tells you White has several practical ways to keep the game going, but the central break is the main one to fear. In a drill, it is worth seeing these moves over and over so you learn which ones are most serious and which ones are more flexible.
Mistakes you should recognise instantly
Two moves are marked as inaccuracies here: Nc3 and a3. Nc3 appears in 4,707,098 games and is said to lose about 0.6 pawns, while a3 appears in 509,769 games and loses about 0.7 pawns. In both cases, better was d4. That makes the position very useful for training, because you can learn to punish move orders that give White an easier game and steer the play toward the engine’s preferred central break.
Results across 26,872,923 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| d4 | 6,327,261 | 55.5% |
| O-O | 5,626,051 | 51.5% |
| Nc3 | 4,707,098 | 50.6% |
| c3 | 4,405,717 | 52.8% |
| d3 | 4,319,366 | 49.7% |
| a3 | 509,769 | 50.7% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense good for Black?
The numbers here say White is better. Stockfish gives +0.77, and the database also shows White scoring more often than Black at this exact position. So you should not treat this as an equal or carefree setup.
What is the main move White should play here?
The engine’s best move is d4, and the most-played continuation is also d4. This is the move you should expect most often in your drill, because it takes the centre and asks Black immediate questions.
Which White moves are most common after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 h6?
The most-played continuations are d4, O-O, Nc3, c3, d3, and a3. Among these, d4 is by far the most important to know, while Nc3 and a3 are listed as inaccuracies.
What should I focus on when practising this opening as Black?
Focus on recognising White’s central break and meeting it accurately. The engine line shows how quickly the game can open up, and the drill is designed to help you handle that pressure instead of drifting into a passive position.
How many games feature the Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense?
Over 27 million Lichess games have reached the Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense position. White wins 52.0%, Black wins 43.9%, with 4.1% draws — based on real rated games.