Bishop's Opening
What is the Bishop's Opening?
The Bishop's Opening is a chess opening that begins with 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4. It is classified under ECO C23–C43 and has 41 named variations. White chooses it with the move Bc4.
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4
ECO: C23–C43
Chosen by: White
Main variations
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 d5
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f4
All 41 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| C23 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 |
| C24 | Berlin Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 |
| C23 | Boi Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 |
| C23 | Calabrese Countergambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5 |
| C23 | Khan Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 d5 |
| C23 | Philidor Counterattack | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6 |
| C24 | Berlin Defense, Greco Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f4 |
| C23 | Calabrese Countergambit, Jaenisch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5 3. d3 |
| C23 | Lewis Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. d4 |
| C23 | Lopez Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2 |
| C23 | McDonnell Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. b4 |
| C23 | Philidor Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 |
| C24 | Ponziani Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 |
| C23 | Stein Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. f4 |
| C23 | Anderssen Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 c6 |
| C23 | del Rio Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 Qg5 |
| C26 | Horwitz Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 b5 |
| C23 | Lewis Countergambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 d5 |
| C24 | Paulsen Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 c6 |
| C23 | Thorold Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 f5 |
| C27 | Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3 |
| C23 | Lopez Variation, Lopez Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2 Nf6 4. f4 |
| C23 | McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. b4 Bxb4 4. c3 |
| C23 | McDonnell Gambit, McDonnell Double Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. b4 Bxb4 4. f4 |
| C24 | Pachman Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Ne2 Nxe4 4. Nec3 |
| C43 | Urusov Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 |
| C24 | Vienna Hybrid | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Nc3 |
| C26 | Vienna Hybrid, Spielmann Attack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3 |
| C24 | Warsaw Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 |
| C27 | Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3 d5 |
| C24 | Kitchener Folly | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Be7 4. Nf3 O-O |
| C23 | Lewis Countergambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 d5 4. Bxd5 Nf6 |
| C24 | Krejcik Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f3 Bc5 4. Ne2 Nc6 5. b4 |
| C23 | Lewis Countergambit, Walker Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 d5 4. Bxd5 Nf6 5. d4 |
| C23 | Lopez Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. c3 Nf6 5. f4 |
| C43 | Urusov Gambit, Keidansky Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qxd4 |
| C28 | Vienna Hybrid, Hromádka Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2 |
| C24 | Urusov Gambit, Panov Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 d5 5. exd5 Bb4+ 6. c3 Qe7+ |
| C23 | Pratt Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. exf6 dxc4 7. Qh5 O-O |
| C23 | Lisitsyn Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6 3. d4 d5 4. exd5 cxd5 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Bxd7+ Nxd7 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. Ne2 |
| C23 | Four Pawns Gambit | 1. 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. Kh1 |
How to learn an opening
Learn the ideas before the moves: where the pieces go, which pawn breaks matter and what the typical middlegame plans are. Then play it, and after each game look up the point where you or your opponent left the known moves. MentoChess shows that point automatically for every game you import.
Opening lessons: Three golden opening rules · Scholar’s mate and how to stop it · Italian Game: plans, not just moves · Answering 1.d4: the Queen’s Gambit Declined · Meeting the Sicilian with 2.c3 · From moves to structures