Schliemann Defense, Exchange Variation

In the Exchange Variation of the Schliemann Defense, White answers 3...f5 by surrendering the bishop on c6 at once. As in the ordinary Exchange Ruy Lopez, Black ends up with the bishop pair and doubled c-pawns. The difference is that ...f5 is already on the board, so e4 stays under attack and White has spent no time defending it. Carl Jaenisch already looked at 4. Bxc6 in his 1847 analysis of 3...f5.

The usual recapture is 4...dxc6, played in about three games out of four. It opens the d-file and the c8-bishop's diagonal, and Black scores well in this line. The point of the exchange is often 5. Nxe5, but that wins nothing: 5...Qd4 forks the knight and the e4-pawn. The intermezzo 6. Qh5+ fails to 6...g6 7. Nxg6 hxg6, because the queen on d4 protects the h8-rook. The alternative 4...bxc6 is played about a fifth of the time and gives White better practical results. The rare 4...fxe4 scores poorly for Black. Engines rate the position as roughly balanced.