Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 h6
The Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO C50, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 h6. It is a line of the Italian Game. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 78,442 times by this move order. White won 51%, 5% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 4. d4 (24% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.56 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6 6. Nc3 Bb4)
- ECO
- C50
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1pp1/2n4p/4p3/2B1P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 h6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 49,153 | |
| 1500-1999 | 28,625 | |
| 2000+ | 664 | |
| All | 78,442 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. d4 | 19,088 (24%) | |
| 4. O-O | 16,359 (21%) | |
| 4. Nc3 | 13,551 (17%) | |
| 4. d3 | 13,004 (17%) | |
| 4. c3 | 12,456 (16%) | |
| 4. a3 | 1,192 (2%) | |
| 4. h3 | 1,177 (2%) | |
| 4. Bxf7+ | 331 (0%) |
Master games
716 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 66%, draw 8%, Black 26%). The strongest:
- GM Zhamsaran Tsydypov (2514) – GM Vasif Durarbayli (2612) 1-0 · Titled Tue 10th Jun Early · 2025-06-10
- GM Razvan Preotu (2445) – GM Pavel Ponkratov (2631) 1-0 · Chess.com RCC Wk18 Swiss · 2022-06-11
- GM Evgeniy Najer (2659) – IM Lawrence Trent (2398) 1-0 · Titled Tue 19th Apr Late · 2022-04-19
- IM Anthony Javier Paredes Lagos (2370) – GM Jonas Buhl Bjerre (2650) 0-1 · Titled Tue 29th Oct Early · 2024-10-29
- IM Saidakbar Saydaliev (2462) – GM Alexander Goldin (2542) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 14th Jan Early · 2025-01-14
Search all games of the Italian Game: Anti-Fried Liver Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Genghis_Imperial (2472) – Oatmeal91 (2513) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- LiLiPoOoOoOoT (2424) – FauziAbijar (2470) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 600 + 5s
- swynwr (2466) – Samokl13 (2392) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4
More Italian Game lines (all)
- Italian Game: Blackburne-Kostić Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Classical Variation, Albin Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Deutz Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (3… Bc5 4. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5… d6 6. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5. O-O O-O) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo (5… O-O 6. d3) C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Canal Variation C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Dubois Variation C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Italian Four Knights Variation C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Lucchini Gambit C50
- Italian Game: Giuoco Pianissimo, Normal C50
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.