Paleface Attack, Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Deferred

The Paleface Attack, 2. f3, aims to set up e4 against the Indian Defense, and 2...d5 is the usual way for Black to keep control of that square. With 3. e4, White pushes the pawn anyway and gives up material. The line is called the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit Deferred because it is a different route into that gambit, which is more often reached via 1. d4 d5. Black accepts in the large majority of games with 3...dxe4. The main follow-up is 4. Nc3, which transposes to the Blackmar-Diemer proper, with White trading a pawn for an open f-file and quick development. Recapturing with 4. fxe4 fails to 4...Nxe4, leaving White a pawn down with no compensation. Black's less common declining tries are 3...e6 and 3...Nc6.

The engine gives Black a slight edge, but in the Lichess database White scores marginally better than Black and draws are rare. The name Paleface Attack goes back at least to Eric Schiller's 1986 book on the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit, and he may have invented it.