C23
Bishop's Opening
1. e4 e5 2. Bc4
In the Bishop's Opening, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.
The Bishop's Opening is a chess opening classified under ECO code C23. It is reached after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4: 3 moves in, with Black to play.
Learn its typical plans and pawn structures rather than memorizing moves — that’s what holds up over the board.
38 named variations branch from this position; the list at the end of the page goes one move deeper into each.
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Analyze my games free →Variations of the Bishop's Opening
- Anderssen Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 c6
- Boi Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5
- Calabrese Countergambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5
- Calabrese Countergambit, Jaenisch Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 f5 3. d3
- Four Pawns Gambit1. 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
- Khan Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 d5
- Lewis Countergambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 d5 4. Bxd5 Nf6
- Lewis Countergambit, Walker Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 d5 4. Bxd5 Nf6 5. d4
- Lewis Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. d4
- Lisitsyn Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6 3. d4 d5 4. exd5 cxd5 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Bxd7+ Nxd7 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. Ne2
- Lopez Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2 Nc6 4. c3 Nf6 5. f4
- Lopez Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2
- Lopez Variation, Lopez Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. Qe2 Nf6 4. f4
- McDonnell Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. b4
- McDonnell Gambit, La Bourdonnais-Denker Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. b4 Bxb4 4. c3
- McDonnell Gambit, McDonnell Double Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. b4 Bxb4 4. f4
- Philidor Counterattack1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6
- Philidor Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3
- Pratt Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. exf6 dxc4 7. Qh5 O-O
- Stein Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. f4
- Thorold Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 f5
- del Rio Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 Qg5
- Berlin Defense1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6
- Berlin Defense, Greco Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f4
- Kitchener Folly1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Be7 4. Nf3 O-O
- Krejcik Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. f3 Bc5 4. Ne2 Nc6 5. b4
- Pachman Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Ne2 Nxe4 4. Nec3
- Ponziani Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4
- Urusov Gambit, Panov Variation1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 d5 5. exd5 Bb4+ 6. c3 Qe7+
- Vienna Hybrid1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Nc6 4. Nc3
- Warsaw Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3
- Horwitz Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. Nc3 b5
- Vienna Hybrid, Spielmann Attack1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. d3
- Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3
- Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3 d5
- Vienna Hybrid, Hromadka Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nc3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bb4 5. Ne2
- Urusov Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3
- Urusov Gambit, Keidansky Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nf3 Nxe4 5. Qxd4
Related openings
Bishop's Opening: Anderssen GambitBishop's Opening: Boi VariationBishop's Opening: Calabrese CountergambitBishop's Opening: Calabrese Countergambit, Jaenisch VariationBishop's Opening: Four Pawns GambitBishop's Opening: Khan GambitBishop's Opening: Lewis CountergambitBishop's Opening: Lewis Countergambit, Walker VariationBishop's Opening: Lewis GambitBishop's Opening: Lisitsyn Variation