Portuguese Gambit, Lusophobe Variation

The Lusophobe Variation combines two of White's options against the Portuguese Gambit. White first plays the zwischenzug 4. Bb5+, and after the usual 4...Nbd7 retreats with 5. Be2, blocking the threat to d1 and offering the light-squared bishops. This resembles the Wuss Variation (4. Be2), but the check has drawn Black's knight to d7. There it blocks the d-file, so Black cannot simply recover the pawn with ...Qxd5 after the exchange of bishops. For the moment White keeps the extra pawn, doubled on d4 and d5, while Black relies on easy development and play on the half-open files.

Black almost always takes the offer with 5...Bxe2, which is also the engine's first choice. The main alternative, 5...Bf5, keeps the bishop on the board, and 5...h5 is seen occasionally. Engines give White a slight edge. In online games White scores well, with a clearly better results record here than Black's.