Theoria
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Philidor Defense

Lion Variation, Delayed Bishop Sacrifice

C41gambittacticaloffbeat

  1. 1.e4d6
  2. 2.d4Nf6
  3. 3.Nc3Nbd7
  4. 4.Nf3e5
  5. 5.Bc4Be7
  6. 6.dxe5dxe5
  7. 7.Bxf7+
157 games63%35%

A rare Lion Variation sideline of the Philidor Defense in which White trades on e5 and only then sacrifices the bishop on f7, drawing out the black king.

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About the Delayed Bishop Sacrifice

The Delayed Bishop Sacrifice inserts the central exchange 6. dxe5 dxe5 before White gives up the bishop, so the sacrifice on f7 arrives a move later than in the Bishop Sacrifice, 6. Bxf7+. The d-file is now open when the black king is pulled forward by the nearly universal 7...Kxf7; 7...Kf8 is seldom chosen. Engines regard the position as roughly balanced, yet White scores heavily in the small sample of online games.

Popular continuations