Two Knights Defense

Black answers the Italian by counterattacking e4 with the knight rather than mirroring with a bishop, inviting sharp play. It leads to some of the oldest and wildest gambit lines, including the notorious Fried Liver Attack.

• Counterattack e4 immediately to seize the initiative
• Be prepared for the sharp Ng5 lines and the ...d5 counter
• Sacrifice a pawn with ...b5 (Ulvestad/Fritz) for active play
• Accept dynamic imbalance in return for piece activity