Answers.Body: <p>The Cozio defenses, both with 3....Nge7 (1) and 3....a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 (2), have been played by top grandmasters like <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1715488" rel="nofollow">Nakamura</a> and <a href="http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1737202" rel="nofollow">Aronian</a>. According to the <a href="http://chesstempo.com/game-database.html" rel="nofollow">Game Database of ChessTempo</a> both variations are quite regularly played and equally popular: 1160 games for (1) and 703 games for (2).</p>
  
  <p>Unsurprisingly, both variants are very similar. After (1) white usually plays 4.0-0 g6 5.c3 or 4.c3 immediately and after (2) white also often chooses the plan with c3: 5.c3 or 5.0-0 g6 6.c3. In this case, the variations of (1) and (2) usually transpose into each other.</p>
  
  <p>However, it seems that there are some subtile differences between (1) and (2).</p>
  
  <ul>
  <li>After (1), white has an extra option that is regularly played: 4.Nc3 g6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5 Bg7 7.Bg5. After (2), this idea is less common, as black answers 5.Nc3 with 5....d6. Now 6.d4 does not really work: 6....b5 7.Bb3 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 exd4 9.Qxd4? c5! and black wins the bishop after 10....c4.</li>
  <li>In (2), white also has an extra option: after 3....a6 white can play 4.Bxc6.</li>
  </ul>
  
  <pre>
  <code>
        [FEN ""]
        [StartPly "5"]
  
        1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 (3...Nge7 4.Nc3 (4.O-O g6 5.c3) 4...g6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5 Bg7 7.Bg5) 4.Ba4 (4.Bxc6) Nge7  5.Nc3 (5.O-O g6 6.c3) d6 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 exd4 9.Qxd4 c5
  </code>
  </pre>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2015-07-03T20:47:09.237Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2015-08-16T13:13:08.550Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2015-08-16T13:13:08.550Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Maxwell86
Body: <p>The Cozio defense to the Ruy Lopez:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5
  2. Nf3 Nc6
  3. Bb5 Nge7
  4. O-O
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The Cozio defense deferred:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5
  2. Nf3 Nc6
  3. Bb5 a6
  4. Ba4 Nge7
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>The deferred variation speaks more to me because I typically play a6. From the Opening Explorer, I think the best continuation for white is d4 followed by bringing the queen out to the center:</p>
  
  <pre><code>[FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5
  2. Nf3 Nc6
  3. Bb5 a6
  4. Ba4 Nge7
  5. d4 exd4
  6. Nxd4 Nxd4
  7. Qxd4
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I'd like to know more about these defenses. What types of games do they produce? Is anyone known for playing them? Are they prone to traps or other tactical considerations?</p>
  
Tags: <opening><defense><ruy-lopez>
Title: Should I play the Cozio defense deferred?
ThreadText: # Should I play the Cozio defense deferred?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2015-07-03)
  
  The Cozio defense to the Ruy Lopez:
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5
  2. Nf3 Nc6
  3. Bb5 Nge7
  4. O-O
  
  ```
  
  The Cozio defense deferred:
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5
  2. Nf3 Nc6
  3. Bb5 a6
  4. Ba4 Nge7
  
  ```
  
  The deferred variation speaks more to me because I typically play a6. From the Opening Explorer, I think the best continuation for white is d4 followed by bringing the queen out to the center:
  
  ```
  [FEN ""]
  1. e4 e5
  2. Nf3 Nc6
  3. Bb5 a6
  4. Ba4 Nge7
  5. d4 exd4
  6. Nxd4 Nxd4
  7. Qxd4
  
  ```
  
  I'd like to know more about these defenses. What types of games do they produce? Is anyone known for playing them? Are they prone to traps or other tactical considerations?
  
  **Tags:** opening, defense, ruy-lopez
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2015-07-03. Score: 7 | Accepted answer
  
  The Cozio defenses, both with 3....Nge7 (1) and 3....a6 4.Ba4 Nge7 (2), have been played by top grandmasters like [Nakamura](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1715488) and [Aronian](http://www.chessgames.com/perl/chessgame?gid=1737202). According to the [Game Database of ChessTempo](http://chesstempo.com/game-database.html) both variations are quite regularly played and equally popular: 1160 games for (1) and 703 games for (2).
  
  Unsurprisingly, both variants are very similar. After (1) white usually plays 4.0-0 g6 5.c3 or 4.c3 immediately and after (2) white also often chooses the plan with c3: 5.c3 or 5.0-0 g6 6.c3. In this case, the variations of (1) and (2) usually transpose into each other.
  
  However, it seems that there are some subtile differences between (1) and (2).
  
  * After (1), white has an extra option that is regularly played: 4.Nc3 g6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5 Bg7 7.Bg5. After (2), this idea is less common, as black answers 5.Nc3 with 5....d6. Now 6.d4 does not really work: 6....b5 7.Bb3 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 exd4 9.Qxd4? c5! and black wins the bishop after 10....c4.
  * In (2), white also has an extra option: after 3....a6 white can play 4.Bxc6.
  
  ```
  
        [FEN ""]
        [StartPly "5"]
  
        1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 (3...Nge7 4.Nc3 (4.O-O g6 5.c3) 4...g6 5.d4 exd4 6.Nd5 Bg7 7.Bg5) 4.Ba4 (4.Bxc6) Nge7  5.Nc3 (5.O-O g6 6.c3) d6 6.d4 b5 7.Bb3 Nxd4 8.Nxd4 exd4 9.Qxd4 c5
  
  ```
  
  
  ---
  
  