Opening Bomb Diary #19: A Chaotic New Idea in the Cozio

Recently, I finally decided to study 1.e4 e5 seriously. Better late than never I guess! 

I'm taking baby steps though, and I'm beginning my journey with the Cozio Defense. The Cozio has always been considered slightly dubious, but I was excited to see if I could reanimate some lines with the help of the latest engines. 

Looking it over this past week, I came across one of the most spectacular opening lines I've ever seen. Who would have thought the Cozio was hiding such a gem?

Full credit goes to the Dutch GM Erwin l'Ami, who was the first to play the initial novelty this past September. I suspect this idea is also the centerpiece of his upcoming Cozio Defense course on Chessable. In this post, let's try to unearth what surreal lines he may have been intending! 

The Cozio:

The Bomb:

I hope you enjoyed the lines. Despite being more impressionistic than practical, I think it's ideas like these that remind us why we love chess! I have countless more discoveries I'm considering sharing, so stay tuned.