The Schliemann Defense offers complications in the Ruy Lopez that can perhaps favor a well-prepared Black. Generally starting as follows: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 f5
White can gain equally vigorous counterplay, at least, via: 4. d4
After 4. … fxe4, a common continutation is 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nxe5.
As this leaves White with a strongly-posted Knight, and Black with an isolated e-Pawn, I was wondering if there might be better chances for Black by taking the Knight, instead: 5. … exf3 (allowing 6. Bxf3).
Yet I could not find this option among the few opening/games databases that I checked. Has anyone ‘here’ looked at this? Any ideas on the merits (or refutation) of 5. … exf3 in this opening?
I played this recently as Black against a higher-rated player and didn’t fare well, but I’m not sure if this particular move was sound or not - my mistake came a little later.
Thanks for any feedback (analysis and/or experience) on this topic.
After 5…exf3 6.Bxf3 exd4 7.Qxd4 Nf6 8.0-0, material is even, and white is pretty decisively ahead in development. What’s black got?
Thanks - getting back to this after a few days…
I think you are right, and maybe this is why the suggested move isn’t common. Perhaps even better for White than what you suggested is to forgo recapturing the d4 pawn with the Queen, and instead play either 7. Bh5+ and 8. 0-0 or simply 7. 0-0. Either leads to mating threats and at the very least an uncomfortable time for Black’s King, which is what I experienced.
I had feared leaving a powerful (and supported) White Knight on e5, but I can see now that 5. … dxc6 avoids the above difficulties, and has merits of its own. The QB is easily developed on the open diagonal, and the KB can be activated by 6. (or 7.) … Bd6, repelling or exchanging for the Knight, and leaving a much better balanced position - with better development - for Black. Analogous to White’s play in the King’s Gambit, in the Schliemann Black must prioritize (a) getting his Knight posted on f6, and (b) activating his Rook on the f-file. Preferably the latter is accomplished by castling Kingside, but if White disables that option somehow, Black still needs to play Rf8 - and of course, in that case, castle Queenside.
I guess the summary learning is that BOTH (a) and (b), as well as any positional advantages that might be gained with the other minor pieces, take a backseat to King safety.
Thanks again for the feedback. I’m going to continue to experiment with this opening a bit - and hopefully, my rating won’t take too much of a beating in the process. 
When you play these tricky tactical “off” lines, your biggest edge is knowing it thoroughly. Play over as many games as you can find (there are plenty of online databases you can use, such as chessgames.com, for free. Play it in your casual and speed games, too. You need to be something of an expert in this type of opening to make it win games for you.
Usually this sort of opening is best reserved as an occasional surprise, a back-up opening. If it were really any good, some enterprising GMs would be playing it, but it doesn’t seem they are (excepting the Russian Zvjaginsev, who has good results with it). I ran this through my database of TWIC games going back to 2007, and found 281 games (out of a total of 179,000 saved) in this C63 opening. White won 46%, drew 27%, and Black won 27%, for an overall ratio of 60% favoring White, somewhat higher than the average (I think it’s slightly over 53%).
Moreover, the average rating of the White players was 2301, with a performance rating in the Schliemann of 2343. The average of Black players was 2258, with a 2238 performance. So it seems White players play over their ratings in this opening, while Black underachieves!
So basically you are relying on the defense’s sharp tactics and trickiness, in which case you must know all the tactics and tricks to be successful.
