Bishop's Opening
You play White · 22 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
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10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 3
Other variations · 19
- Anderssen GambitC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 c63 moves
- Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein DefenseC271. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3 d54 moves
- Calabrese Countergambit, Jaenisch VariationC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5 3. d33 moves
- del Rio VariationC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 Qg53 moves
- Four Pawns GambitC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. b4 Bxb4 4. f4 exf4 5. Nf3 Be7 6. d4 Bh4+ 7. g3 fxg3 8. O-O gxh2+ 9. Kh19 moves
- Horwitz GambitC261. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 b53 moves
- Kitchener FollyC241. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Be7 4. Nf3 O-O4 moves
- Krejcik GambitC241. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f3 Bc5 4. Ne2 Nc6 5. b45 moves
- Lewis Countergambit, Walker VariationC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 d5 4. Bxd5 Nf6 5. d45 moves
- Lewis GambitC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. d43 moves
- Lisitsyn VariationC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6 3. d4 d5 4. exd5 cxd5 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Bxd7+ Nxd7 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. Ne28 moves
- Lopez GambitC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. c3 Nf6 5. f45 moves
- Lopez Variation, Lopez GambitC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2 Nf6 4. f44 moves
- McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker GambitC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. b4 Bxb4 4. c34 moves
- Pachman GambitC241. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Ne2 Nxe4 4. Nec34 moves
- Pratt VariationC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. exf6 dxc4 7. Qh5 O-O7 moves
- Stein GambitC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. f43 moves
- Thorold GambitC231. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 f53 moves
- Warsaw GambitC241. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. c34 moves
What is the Bishop's Opening?
The Bishop's Opening starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4. White develops the bishop to its active diagonal at once, aiming at f7, and keeps both the g1 knight and the f-pawn flexible. It is one of the oldest openings in chess, and today it is mostly used as a flexible move-order weapon: you can steer the game towards Italian-style positions with d3 and Nf3, towards the Vienna with Nc3, or towards King's Gambit ideas with f4. Its character is usually quiet and manoeuvring, with gambit options for sharper players.
Main ideas and plans
Black's most common answer is the Berlin Defense, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6, which attacks e4. The modern main line is 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3, a quiet set-up in which you follow with Nf3, c3, O-O, Re1 and often a bishop retreat to b3, then build slowly towards d4 or a kingside attack with the knight manoeuvre Nbd2-f1-g3. Black usually answers with ...c6 and ...d5 to take the centre, or with ...Bc5 and ...d6 for an Italian-type game. If you want a sharp gambit instead, the Urusov Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nf3, gives a pawn for quick development and open lines.
Against 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 you can use the same d3 and Nf3 set-up, or prepare d4 with c3; Black can then strike with the Lewis Countergambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Bc5 3.c3 d5, an early pawn sacrifice in the centre. The Calabrese Countergambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 f5, is a risky try for Black that you meet with calm development, usually with d3. A practical advantage of the Bishop's Opening is that Petrov players cannot reach their usual lines, because your knight stays on g1 until you decide to play Nf3, and many games transpose into the Italian Game or the Vienna.
Who is it for?
The Bishop's Opening suits players who like flexible, manoeuvring positions with a hint of attack and who want to avoid the Petrov and much of the theory that follows an early Nf3. It is light on forced theory, but the quiet lines with d3 give Black easy equality if you play without a plan, so you need the typical middlegame ideas of the Italian Game. Learn the d3 set-up against ...Nf6 first, including the answer to ...c6 and ...d5, and remember that f7 is the target that justifies your early bishop move.