Bishop's Opening
ECO C23-C24beginner
The Bishop's Opening, 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4, develops toward f7 before committing the king's knight — a flexible move order that avoids Petrov's Defense entirely and keeps f2-f4 options alive. Its main strength is transpositional: after 2...Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 White reaches Italian-style positions, while 3.Nc3 can become a Vienna. Played with the modern d3 setup it is a sophisticated system; played with early f4 it becomes a delayed King's Gambit.
Main line
1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 Bd6 6.Nc3
Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.
Win rates by rating
Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.
| Rating | Games | White wins | Draws | Black wins | Position after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400-600 | 141 | 44.7% | 7.8% | 47.5% | 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 |
| 600-800 | 45 | 40% | 4.4% | 55.6% | 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 |
| 800-1000 | 45 | 31.1% | 6.7% | 62.2% | 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 |
| 1000-1200 | 64 | 40.6% | 3.1% | 56.3% | 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 |
| 1200-1400 | 55 | 43.6% | 3.6% | 52.7% | 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 |
Most played continuations (400-600 rating)
After 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d3:
- Nc6 — played 31.2% of the time (White wins 38.6%, draws 11.4%, Black wins 50%)
- Bc5 — played 17.7% of the time (White wins 48%, draws 4%, Black wins 48%)
- Bb4+ — played 12.1% of the time (White wins 41.2%, draws 11.8%, Black wins 47.1%)
Frequently asked questions
Why play 2.Bc4 instead of 2.Nf3?
Two practical reasons: it dodges the Petrov (after 2.Nf3 Nf6) and preserves the option of f4 without gambiting. The cost is allowing 2...Nf6 hitting e4 immediately, which is why 3.d3 is the modern backbone of the system.
Should Black fear the early attack on f7?
No — calm development defuses it: 2...Nf6 3.d3 c6 preparing ...d5 is the cleanest equalizer, gaining the center while the c4 bishop bites on granite. The pitfalls only appear if Black ignores development and grabs material early.
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