The Fried Liver Attack

Fallen London
1

Sometimes I think FBG reads my mind. The Fried Liver Attack has always been my favorite chess opening, and the game where Paul Morphy checkmates his dad with it by castling has always been my favorite game. So what do my wondering eyes perceive when playing a certain Deviless? &quotShe chanced the Fried Liver Attack, but you countered…&quot How did they know?

– Mal

2

Knowing nothing about chess, I thought the Fried Liver Attack another hilarious Failbetter invention…

3

The defense is fictional, from Nabokov’s novel The Luzhin Defense, but the attack has a long history in chess.

– Mal

4

Mal, the attack sounds like some sort of martial arts move from a culinary expert… Anyways, are there are other interestingly named moves in chess?

5

Why is it called the Fried Liver Attack?

6

Come at me with fried liver and you’ll get bacon and onion gravy for your troubles! And no leaving the table until you’ve finished your cabbage, either.

7

Sorry Snotra, but that really sounds awful :P

8

@Kukapetal: for an Italian idiom that means “Dead as a piece of liver.” It is a slashing sacrifice variation of the Two Knight’s Defense.
@Pyrodium: I’m sure there are, but that is the one that always sticks in my head.

– Mal

9

It was, Kukapetal, but as my good 'old Dad used to say “It’ll put hairs on your chest like barbed wire”! He never understood daughters…

10

@malthaussen: Thanks! I assume the &quotdead&quot part refers to your opponent and not you for being stupidly reckless or something

@Snotra: kudos for a hilarious retort. My laughing started the cat :P
edited by Kukapetal on 12/5/2015

11

@Kukapetal: well, it is fairly easy to counter, so if the sacrifice doesn’t work, then White is left with a material disadvantage, but if Black doesn’t respond correctly, he is in for a painful game.:)

@Snotra: but what if I come at you with… a banana!

– Mal
edited by malthaussen on 12/5/2015

12

Then there shall be hokey pokey ice-cream all round, Mal.

https://www.tiptop.co.nz/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/TT_HokeyPokeyResized.png

13

A few chess openings:

The Frankenstein-Dracula Variation of the Vienna Game
The Grob
The Sicilian Dragon
The Richter-Rauzer
The Najdorf Poison Pawn

14

Don’t forget &quotThe Hedgehog&quot and &quotThe Orangutan&quot.

There’s also something called the &quotLondon System&quot, so maybe there should be a &quotFallen London System&quot – might be appropriate for a game where the queen sacrifices all her other pieces just so the king lives.
edited by vitamancy on 12/5/2015

15

[quote=vitamancy]Don’t forget &quotThe Hedgehog&quot and &quotThe Orangutan&quot.

There’s also something called the &quotLondon System&quot, so maybe there should be a &quotFallen London System&quot – might be appropriate for a game where the queen sacrifices all her other pieces just so the king lives.
edited by vitamancy on 12/5/2015[/quote]

[li]
Yes!! The Fallen London System!

And let’s not forget Von Goom’s Gambit.

16

OK, that really sounds like something from Fallen London!

17

With chess I can often find myself out of my depth, so sometime my chances are a bit forlorn. But I can always hope for a lucky Fluke.

  • You are an inspiration punmistress Snotra :greenp:
    edited by Charlotte_de_Witte on 12/5/2015
18

I am italian, and i’ve never heard that in my whole life :'D

19

@ganjalf91: take it up with Wikipedia, who make the claim. It may be an obsolete idiom, it may be a figment of their imaginations. The word in question is “fegatello.”

– Mal