Bishop's Opening

The idea

After 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4, White points the bishop at f7 straight away and holds back the king's knight. That keeps the f-pawn free for a later f4, and it sidesteps the Petrov Defense, which only arises after 2.Nf3.

Black's best answer is often 2...Nf6, the Berlin Defense, which attacks e4. White can guard it with d3 for a quiet Italian-style game, or try gambits such as the Urusov, 3.d4, which gives a pawn for fast development. The Bishop's Opening often turns into a Vienna Game or an Italian Game by a different move order.

Flexible and old-fashioned in a good way. It was one of the first openings to be studied seriously, and it still gives White a calm, healthy game with chances to attack.

Players who like the Italian Game but want to avoid the Petrov, and who enjoy keeping the opponent guessing about the plan.

Black can hit your bishop with ...d5 or ...Na5 ideas. Give it a safe retreat on b3 before it gets traded or chased around.

The main line, move by move

1. 1.e4 · White claims the center with a pawn and opens the way for the queen and the bishop on f1. It is the most direct way to start a game.
2. 1...e5 · Black answers in kind: an equal share of the center, and the same open lines for the queen and the king's bishop. Both sides now want to develop fast.
3. 2.Bc4 · The bishop comes out first, aiming at f7, the one square next to Black's king that only the king guards. Leaving the knight at home keeps the f-pawn free to push to f4 later.
4. 2...Bc5 · Black mirrors the idea: the bishop points at f2 and takes control of d4, so White cannot push d4 without preparing it first.
5. 3.c3 · White prepares d4 to build a two-pawn center and push the bishop back. The pawn on c3 also clears a path for the queen to b3, where it would attack b7 and stand behind the bishop against f7.
6. 3...d5 · Black strikes in the center before White gets d4 in, attacking both the bishop and the pawn on e4. After 4.Bxd5 Nf6 Black gains time by attacking the bishop and gets quick development in return for the pawn.

Next moves in book

• 2...b5
• 2...Nc6 · King's Gambit Declined: Classical, Svenonius Variation
• 2...c6 · Philidor Counterattack
• 2...d5 · Khan Gambit
• 2...f5 · Calabrese Countergambit
• 2...Bc5 · Boi Variation
• 2...Nf6 · Berlin Defense

Watch out for

• Scholar's Mate

Related openings

• Ruy Lopez C60–C99 · 200 named lines
• Italian Game C50–C59 · 156 named lines
• Vienna Game C25–C29 · 55 named lines
• King's Gambit C30 · 1 named line