Bishop's opening

With 2. Bc4 White develops their bishop to increase control over d5 and pressure f7, the weakest pawn in Black's position. The Bishop's opening is very transpositional: by not having played Nf3 yet, White retains the option of f4 and may plan to transpose into Vienna or King's gambit lines, or the game can be taken into a Russian or Italian direction.

Compared to 2. Nf3, White has not threaten Black's e5 pawn, so Black is afforded flexibility in their reply. The main moves are 2...Nf6 or 2...Bc5.

2...Nf6 and Black attacks White's e pawn. White may defend it or not. They can defend with 3. Nc3, transposing into a Vienna game, or 3. d3, happy that their king's bishop is already developed outside of the pawn chain. They can leave it undefended to develop 3. Nf3, transposing into a Russian game, or to counterattack with 3. e4 or 3. f4 (the Ponziani and Greco gambits, respectively).

2...Bc5 is the classical response, developing Black's bishop. Transpositions to Vienna or Italian games are possible with 3. Nc3 or 3. Nf3. 3. b4 is a gambit resembling the Evan's gambit. The more original response is 3. c3, supporting an eventual d4 push.

In amateur games, 3. Qh5 or 3. Qf3 may follow, expecting that Black will allow Qxf7#.

Other second moves for Black include

• 2...Nc6, letting White whether to transpose into the Italian with 3. Nf3 or the Vienna with 3. Nc3, or hold off with 3. d3.
• 2...f5, the Calabrese countergambit, a sharp gambit to entrap unfamiliar players.
• 2...b5?!, the Anderssen attack, a Romantic but not very sound gambit.
• 2...c6, the Philidor counterattack to steadily prepare d5.
• 2...d5?!, the Kahn gambit, to give up a pawn for the bishop pair (if 3. Bxd5 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nxd5 5. exd5) or two pawns for development (if 3. exd5 c6 4. dxc6 Nxc6)
• 2...d6 to transpose to Philidor's Defence.

The Bishop's opening was popular in the 18th Century and a favourite of Philidor. His 1790 book, Analysis of the Game of Chess, largely focuses on this opening. In the 1930s, Weaver Adams used to claim it was a "forced win" for White, but it's usually considered that Black can equalise with best play.^[1]

Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen revived the opening in the 1960s at the 1964 Amsterdam Interzonal.

For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation..

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4

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Wikipedia has related information at Bishop's Opening

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.

• Lane, Gary (2004). The Bishop's Opening Explained. London: Batsford. ISBN 07134 8917 0.
• Lane, Gary. (1993). Winning with the Bishop's Opening. ISBN 0-7134-7113-1.
• Panov, Vasily (1973). Teoría de Aperturas, Tomo I: Aperturas Abiertas - Aperturas Semiabiertas. ISBN 84-270-0132-0.
• Schiller, Eric (2002). Standard Chess Openings. ISBN 1-58042-048-6.

• Goeller, Michael. The Bishop's Opening.
• Harding, Tim (August 1998). The Kibitzer: What Exactly is the Bishop's Opening?. ChessCafe.com.
• Harding, Tim (September 1998). The Kibitzer: The Eternal Appeal Of The Urusov Gambit. ChessCafe.com.
• Harding, Tim (October 1998). The Kibitzer: Is the Urusov Gambit Sound?. ChessCafe.com
• Youtube:
  • Chessgeek.com (2021). Learn the POWERFUL Bishop's Opening.
  • Perunovic, Miodrag (2023). The Bishop's Opening: How To ATTACK!!.
  • Remote Chess Academy (Smirnov, Igor) (2021). The Unbeatable Bishop’s Opening (simple and powerful).
  • TheChessGiant.com (Solomon, Ruddell) (2021). Chess Openings: Learn to Play the Bishop’s Opening!.