Bishop's Opening
Encyclopedia
The Bishop's Opening is a chess opening
that begins with the moves:
White attacks Black's f7-square and prevents Black from advancing his d-pawn to d5.
By ignoring the beginner's rule, "develop knights
before bishops
", White leaves his f-pawn unblocked allowing the possibility of playing f2–f4.
The f2–f4 push gives the Bishop's Opening an affinity to the King's Gambit
and the Vienna Game
, two openings that share this characteristic. In fact, the Bishop's Opening can transpose
into the King's Gambit or the Vienna Game, and transpositions into Giuoco Piano
and Two Knights Defense
and other openings are also possible. In particular, White should remain alert for any chance to transpose into a favorable variation of the King's Gambit, but with careful play Black can avoid this danger.
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
(ECO) assigns Bishop's Opening the codes C23 and C24.
and Ruy Lopez. Later it was played by Philidor
. Larsen
was one of the few grandmasters
to play it often, after first using it at the 1964 Interzonal
Tournament. Although the Bishop's Opening is uncommon today, it has been used occasionally as a surprise by players such as Kasparov. Nunn
uses it to avoid Petrov's Defence
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6), and Lékó
played it in the 2007 World Championship against Kramnik
, known to consistently play the Petrov.
Weaver Adams
in his classic work "White to Play and Win" claimed that the Bishop's Opening was a win for White by force from the second move. However, he was unable to prove this by defeating players stronger than himself, and later abandoned the Bishop's Opening for the Vienna Game
, making the same claim. Grandmaster Nick de Firmian
, in the 14th edition of Modern Chess Openings
concludes that the Bishop's Opening leads to equality with best play by both sides, and notes that, "Among modern players only Bent Larsen
has played it much, but even Kasparov gave it a whirl (winning against Bareev)."
As shown below, the Bishop's Opening offers opportunities to transpose to several other open games.
After 3.d3 Black must be careful not to drift into an inferior variation of the King's Gambit Declined. One continuation that avoids this pitfall is 2...Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 Bd6. Also possible is 3...d6 (instead of 3...c6) 4.f4 exf4 5.Bxf4 Be6! neutralizing White's king bishop.
White sometimes chooses the Bishop's Opening move order to transpose into the Giuoco Piano
while preventing Black from playing Petrov's Defense
. For example, 2...Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 reaches the quiet Giuoco Pianissimo.
The Urusov Gambit is named after Russian Prince Sergey Semyonovich Urusov (August 3, 1827–November 20, 1897). After 2...Nf6 3.d4 exd4 (3...Nxe4 4.dxe5 gives White some advantage) 4.Nf3, Black can transpose to the Two Knights Defense
with 4...Nc6, or can decline the gambit with 4...d5 5.exd5 Bb4+ 6.c3 (6.Kf1 is recommended by Michael Goeller, winning a pawn at the expense of castling rights) 6...Qe7+ 7.Be2 dxc3, when 8.bxc3 and 8.Nxc3 both offer approximately equal chances. Instead, Black can accept the gambit with 4...Nxe4 5.Qxd4 Nf6 (5...Nd6? 6.0-0 gives White an overwhelming attack) and White will continue with Nc3, Bg5, Qh4, 0-0-0, and usually intends to meet ...0-0 and ...h6 with the piece sacrifice Bxh6, exposing the black king. Black has no obvious weaknesses, but most authorities consider White's piece activity and attacking chances to provide sufficient compensation for the pawn.
The Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit is named after English player and chess writer Samuel Boden
and Lionel Kieseritzky
. Boden published the first analysis of it in 1851. Opening theoreticians consider that after 2...Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3 Nxc3 5.dxc3 f6, White's attack is not quite worth a pawn. The game may continue 6.0-0 Nc6 (not 6...Be7? 7.Nxe5! with a tremendous attack, but 6...d6 is also playable) 7.Nh4 g6 8.f4 f5 9.Nf3 (9.Nxf5? d5!) e4 10.Ng5 (10.Ne5 Qe7! threatening Qc5+ is strong) Bc5+. In practice, Black's lack of development and inability to castle
kingside can prove very problematic.
Safer for Black are Paul Morphy's
solid 5...c6 6.Nxe5 d5, returning the pawn with equality, and 4...Nc6!? (instead of 4...Nxc3) 5.0-0 (5.Nxe4 d5) Nxc3 6.dxc3 Qe7! when, according to Bobby Fischer
in My 60 Memorable Games
, "White has no compensation for the Pawn."
Black can also decline the pawn with 3...Nc6, transposing into the Two Knights Defense
. He must, however, be willing to offer a gambit himself after 4.Ng5. White may invite an offshoot of the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit with 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Nc3.
Irregular move orders are 2.Nc3 (Vienna) Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nf3 and 2.Nf3 Nf6 (Russian or Petrov Defence) 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nf3.
White can then transpose into the Vienna Game
(3.Nc3) or the Giuoco Piano
(3.Nf3), or remain in the Bishop's Opening with the Wing Gambit (3.b4) or the Philidor Variation (3.c3). The main line of the Philidor Variation runs:
3. c3 Nf6
4. d4 exd4
5. e5 d5!
6. exf6 dxc4
7. Qh5 0-0
8. Qxc5 Re8+
9. Ne2 d3
10.Be3
Transpositions into the King's Gambit
Declined and the Giuoco Piano are also possible after 3.d3.
The Wing Gambit
results in positions similar to those in the Evans Gambit
.
It can transpose into the Evans Gambit, for instance by 3.b4 Bxb4 4.c3 Ba5 5.Nf3 Nc6.
Black's most energetic response to the Philidor Variation is the Lewis Countergambit, 3.c3 d5, named for the English
player and author William Lewis
(1787–1870), who published analysis of the line in 1834.
Among amateurs, 3.Qf3 and 3.Qh5 are also popular. Both threaten an immediate scholar's mate
and so may lead to a quick win for White. If Black spots the threat however (as is likely at all levels but the very lowest), the moves are considered inferior because they either hamper White's development or leave the queen exposed, inevitably leading to a tempo
loss.
The Calabrian Countergambit (2...f5?!) is named after Greco's homeland, Calabria
. It is considered dubious as the line recommended by Carl Jaenisch
, 3.d3 Nf6 4.f4 d6 5.Nf3, gives White the advantage.
Chess opening
A chess opening is the group of initial moves of a chess game. Recognized sequences of opening moves are referred to as openings as initiated by White or defenses, as created in reply by Black. There are many dozens of different openings, and hundreds of named variants. The Oxford Companion to...
that begins with the moves:
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Bc4
White attacks Black's f7-square and prevents Black from advancing his d-pawn to d5.
By ignoring the beginner's rule, "develop knights
Knight (chess)
The knight is a piece in the game of chess, representing a knight . It is normally represented by a horse's head and neck. Each player starts with two knights, which begin on the row closest to the player, one square from the corner...
before bishops
Bishop (chess)
A bishop is a piece in the board game of chess. Each player begins the game with two bishops. One starts between the king's knight and the king, the other between the queen's knight and the queen...
", White leaves his f-pawn unblocked allowing the possibility of playing f2–f4.
The f2–f4 push gives the Bishop's Opening an affinity to the King's Gambit
King's Gambit
The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White offers a pawn to divert the Black e-pawn so as to build a strong centre with d2–d4...
and the Vienna Game
Vienna Game
The Vienna Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also of more recent vintage; a book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna.The original idea behind...
, two openings that share this characteristic. In fact, the Bishop's Opening can transpose
Transposition (chess)
A transposition in chess is a sequence of moves that results in a position which may also be reached by another, more common sequence of moves. Transpositions are particularly common in opening, where a given position may be reached by different sequences of moves...
into the King's Gambit or the Vienna Game, and transpositions into Giuoco Piano
Giuoco Piano
The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
and Two Knights Defense
Two Knights Defense
The Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century....
and other openings are also possible. In particular, White should remain alert for any chance to transpose into a favorable variation of the King's Gambit, but with careful play Black can avoid this danger.
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings
The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings is a classification system for the opening moves in a game of chess. It is presented as a five volume book collection describing chess openings...
(ECO) assigns Bishop's Opening the codes C23 and C24.
History and use
The Bishop's Opening is one of the oldest openings to be analyzed; it was studied by LucenaLuis Ramirez Lucena
Luis Ramírez de Lucena was a leading Spanish chess player. He wrote the oldest existing printed book on chess, Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess , published in Salamanca in 1497...
and Ruy Lopez. Later it was played by Philidor
François-André Danican Philidor
François-André Danican Philidor , often referred to as André Danican Philidor during his lifetime, was a French composer and chess player. He contributed to the early development of the opéra comique...
. Larsen
Bent Larsen
Jørgen Bent Larsen was a Danish chess Grandmaster and author. Larsen was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and he was the first western player to pose a serious challenge to the Soviet Union's dominance of chess...
was one of the few grandmasters
International Grandmaster
The title Grandmaster is awarded to strong chess players by the world chess organization FIDE. Apart from World Champion, Grandmaster is the highest title a chess player can attain....
to play it often, after first using it at the 1964 Interzonal
Interzonal
Interzonal chess tournaments were tournaments organized by FIDE, the World Chess Federation, and were a stage in the triennial World Chess Championship cycle.- Zonal tournaments :...
Tournament. Although the Bishop's Opening is uncommon today, it has been used occasionally as a surprise by players such as Kasparov. Nunn
John Nunn
John Denis Martin Nunn is one of England's strongest chess players and once belonged to the world's top ten. He is also a three times world champion in chess problem solving, a chess writer and publisher, and a mathematician....
uses it to avoid Petrov's Defence
Petrov's Defence
Petrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
(1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6), and Lékó
Péter Lékó
On the way to winning the prestigious Corus chess tournament in 2005, Lékó defeated Grandmaster Viswanathan Anand with the black pieces. The moves were:...
played it in the 2007 World Championship against Kramnik
Vladimir Kramnik
Vladimir Borisovich Kramnik is a Russian chess grandmaster. He was the Classical World Chess Champion from 2000 to 2006, and the undisputed World Chess Champion from 2006 to 2007...
, known to consistently play the Petrov.
Weaver Adams
Weaver W. Adams
Weaver Warren Adams was an American chess master, author, and chess opening theoretician. His greatest competitive achievement was winning the U.S. Open Championship in 1948. He played in the U.S...
in his classic work "White to Play and Win" claimed that the Bishop's Opening was a win for White by force from the second move. However, he was unable to prove this by defeating players stronger than himself, and later abandoned the Bishop's Opening for the Vienna Game
Vienna Game
The Vienna Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also of more recent vintage; a book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna.The original idea behind...
, making the same claim. Grandmaster Nick de Firmian
Nick de Firmian
Nicholas Ernest de Firmian , is a chess grandmaster and three-time U.S. chess champion, winning in 1987 , 1995, and 1998. He also tied for first in 2002, but Larry Christiansen won the playoff...
, in the 14th edition of Modern Chess Openings
Modern Chess Openings
Modern Chess Openings is an important reference book on the chess openings, first published in 1911 by the British players Richard Clewin Griffith and John Herbert White...
concludes that the Bishop's Opening leads to equality with best play by both sides, and notes that, "Among modern players only Bent Larsen
Bent Larsen
Jørgen Bent Larsen was a Danish chess Grandmaster and author. Larsen was known for his imaginative and unorthodox style of play and he was the first western player to pose a serious challenge to the Soviet Union's dominance of chess...
has played it much, but even Kasparov gave it a whirl (winning against Bareev)."
Main variations
Because White's second move makes no direct threats, Black has many possible responses on the second move.As shown below, the Bishop's Opening offers opportunities to transpose to several other open games.
Berlin Defense (2...Nf6)
Probably Black's most popular second move is 2...Nf6, forcing White to decide how to defend his e-pawn.After 3.d3 Black must be careful not to drift into an inferior variation of the King's Gambit Declined. One continuation that avoids this pitfall is 2...Nf6 3.d3 c6 4.Nf3 d5 5.Bb3 Bd6. Also possible is 3...d6 (instead of 3...c6) 4.f4 exf4 5.Bxf4 Be6! neutralizing White's king bishop.
White sometimes chooses the Bishop's Opening move order to transpose into the Giuoco Piano
Giuoco Piano
The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
while preventing Black from playing Petrov's Defense
Petrov's Defence
Petrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
. For example, 2...Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 reaches the quiet Giuoco Pianissimo.
The Urusov Gambit is named after Russian Prince Sergey Semyonovich Urusov (August 3, 1827–November 20, 1897). After 2...Nf6 3.d4 exd4 (3...Nxe4 4.dxe5 gives White some advantage) 4.Nf3, Black can transpose to the Two Knights Defense
Two Knights Defense
The Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century....
with 4...Nc6, or can decline the gambit with 4...d5 5.exd5 Bb4+ 6.c3 (6.Kf1 is recommended by Michael Goeller, winning a pawn at the expense of castling rights) 6...Qe7+ 7.Be2 dxc3, when 8.bxc3 and 8.Nxc3 both offer approximately equal chances. Instead, Black can accept the gambit with 4...Nxe4 5.Qxd4 Nf6 (5...Nd6? 6.0-0 gives White an overwhelming attack) and White will continue with Nc3, Bg5, Qh4, 0-0-0, and usually intends to meet ...0-0 and ...h6 with the piece sacrifice Bxh6, exposing the black king. Black has no obvious weaknesses, but most authorities consider White's piece activity and attacking chances to provide sufficient compensation for the pawn.
The Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit is named after English player and chess writer Samuel Boden
Samuel Boden
Samuel Standidge Boden was an English professional chess master.The mating pattern "Boden's Mate" was named after the mate that occurred in one of his games, Schulder-Boden, London 1853....
and Lionel Kieseritzky
Lionel Kieseritzky
Lionel Adalbert Bagration Felix Kieseritzky was a 19th-century chess master, famous primarily for a game he lost against Adolf Anderssen, which because of its brilliance was named "The Immortal Game".-Early life:...
. Boden published the first analysis of it in 1851. Opening theoreticians consider that after 2...Nf6 3.Nf3 Nxe4 4.Nc3 Nxc3 5.dxc3 f6, White's attack is not quite worth a pawn. The game may continue 6.0-0 Nc6 (not 6...Be7? 7.Nxe5! with a tremendous attack, but 6...d6 is also playable) 7.Nh4 g6 8.f4 f5 9.Nf3 (9.Nxf5? d5!) e4 10.Ng5 (10.Ne5 Qe7! threatening Qc5+ is strong) Bc5+. In practice, Black's lack of development and inability to castle
Castling
Castling is a special move in the game of chess involving the king and either of the original rooks of the same color. It is the only move in chess in which a player moves two pieces at the same time. Castling consists of moving the king two squares towards a rook on the player's first rank, then...
kingside can prove very problematic.
Safer for Black are Paul Morphy's
Paul Morphy
Paul Charles Morphy was an American chess player. He is considered to have been the greatest chess master of his era and an unofficial World Chess Champion. He was a chess prodigy...
solid 5...c6 6.Nxe5 d5, returning the pawn with equality, and 4...Nc6!? (instead of 4...Nxc3) 5.0-0 (5.Nxe4 d5) Nxc3 6.dxc3 Qe7! when, according to Bobby Fischer
Bobby Fischer
Robert James "Bobby" Fischer was an American chess Grandmaster and the 11th World Chess Champion. He is widely considered one of the greatest chess players of all time. Fischer was also a best-selling chess author...
in My 60 Memorable Games
My 60 Memorable Games
My 60 Memorable Games is a chess book by Bobby Fischer, first published in 1969. It is a collection of his games dating from the 1957 New Jersey Open to the 1967 Sousse Interzonal. Unlike many players' anthologies, which are often titled My Best Games and include only victories, My 60 Memorable...
, "White has no compensation for the Pawn."
Black can also decline the pawn with 3...Nc6, transposing into the Two Knights Defense
Two Knights Defense
The Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century....
. He must, however, be willing to offer a gambit himself after 4.Ng5. White may invite an offshoot of the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit with 4.0-0 Nxe4 5.Nc3.
Irregular move orders are 2.Nc3 (Vienna) Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nf3 and 2.Nf3 Nf6 (Russian or Petrov Defence) 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nf3.
Summary after 2...Nf6
- 3.Nc3 (Vienna Game, by transposition)
- 3.d3
- 3.d4 (Ponziani's Gambit)
- 3...exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 (Center GameCenter GameThe Center Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:The game usually continues 3.Qxd4 Nc6, developing with a gain of tempo due to the attack on the white queen....
, by transposition) - 3...exd4 4.Nf3 (Urusov Gambit)
- 4...Bc5 5.0-0 Nc6 (Max Lange AttackMax Lange AttackThe Max Lange Attack is a chess opening that can arise from many different opening lines, including the Two Knights Defense, Petroff's Defense, Scotch Gambit, Bishop's Opening, Center Game, and Giuoco Piano...
, by transposition) - 4...Nc6 (Two Knights DefenseTwo Knights DefenseThe Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensively developed in the 19th century....
, by transposition) - 4...Nxe4 5.Qxd4 (Urusov Gambit Accepted)
- 4...Bc5 5.0-0 Nc6 (Max Lange Attack
- 3...exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 (Center Game
- 3.Nf3 (Petrov's DefensePetrov's DefencePetrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
, by transposition)- 3...Nxe4 4.Nc3 (Boden–Kieseritzky GambitPetrov's DefencePetrov's Defence is a chess opening characterised by the following moves:Though this symmetrical response has a long history, it was first popularised by Alexander Petrov, a Russian chess player of the mid-19th century...
)
- 3...Nxe4 4.Nc3 (Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit
- 3.f4 (Greco Gambit)
- 3...Nxe4 4.d3 Nd6 5.Bb3 Nc6 or 5...e4
- 3...exf4 (King's GambitKing's GambitThe King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White offers a pawn to divert the Black e-pawn so as to build a strong centre with d2–d4...
, by transposition)
Classical Defense (2...Bc5)
The Classical Defense is Black's symmetrical response, 2...Bc5.White can then transpose into the Vienna Game
Vienna Game
The Vienna Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also of more recent vintage; a book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna.The original idea behind...
(3.Nc3) or the Giuoco Piano
Giuoco Piano
The Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
(3.Nf3), or remain in the Bishop's Opening with the Wing Gambit (3.b4) or the Philidor Variation (3.c3). The main line of the Philidor Variation runs:
3. c3 Nf6
4. d4 exd4
5. e5 d5!
6. exf6 dxc4
7. Qh5 0-0
8. Qxc5 Re8+
9. Ne2 d3
10.Be3
Transpositions into the King's Gambit
King's Gambit
The King's Gambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White offers a pawn to divert the Black e-pawn so as to build a strong centre with d2–d4...
Declined and the Giuoco Piano are also possible after 3.d3.
The Wing Gambit
Wing Gambit
In chess, Wing Gambit is a generic name given to openings in which White plays an early b4, deflecting an enemy pawn or bishop from c5 so as to regain control of d4, an important central square...
results in positions similar to those in the Evans Gambit
Evans Gambit
The Evans Gambit is a chess opening characterised by the moves:The gambit is named after the Welsh sea Captain William Davies Evans, the first player known to have employed it. The first game with the opening is considered to be Evans - McDonnell, London 1827, although in that game a slightly...
.
It can transpose into the Evans Gambit, for instance by 3.b4 Bxb4 4.c3 Ba5 5.Nf3 Nc6.
Black's most energetic response to the Philidor Variation is the Lewis Countergambit, 3.c3 d5, named for the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
player and author William Lewis
William Lewis (chess player)
William Lewis was an English chess player and author, nowadays best known for the Lewis Countergambit and for being the first player ever to be described as a Grandmaster of the game..-Life and works:...
(1787–1870), who published analysis of the line in 1834.
Among amateurs, 3.Qf3 and 3.Qh5 are also popular. Both threaten an immediate scholar's mate
Scholar's mate
In chess, Scholar's Mate is the checkmate achieved by the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6? 4. Qxf7#. The moves might be played in a different order or in slight variation, but the basic idea is the same—the queen and bishop combine in a simple mating attack on f7 .Sometimes Scholar's Mate is...
and so may lead to a quick win for White. If Black spots the threat however (as is likely at all levels but the very lowest), the moves are considered inferior because they either hamper White's development or leave the queen exposed, inevitably leading to a tempo
Tempo (chess)
In chess, tempo refers to a "turn" or single move. When a player achieves a desired result in one fewer move, he "gains a tempo" and conversely when he takes one more move than necessary he "loses a tempo"...
loss.
Summary after 2...Bc5
- 3.b4 (Wing GambitWing GambitIn chess, Wing Gambit is a generic name given to openings in which White plays an early b4, deflecting an enemy pawn or bishop from c5 so as to regain control of d4, an important central square...
) - 3.c3 (Philidor Variation)
- 3...d5 (Lewis Countergambit)
- 3...d6
- 3...Nf6
- 3.Nc3 (Vienna GameVienna GameThe Vienna Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also of more recent vintage; a book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna.The original idea behind...
, by transposition) - 3.d3
- 3.Nf3 (Giuoco PianoGiuoco PianoThe Giuoco Piano is a chess opening beginning with the moves:Common alternatives to 3...Bc5 include 3...Nf6 , 3...Be7 , or 3...d6 .-History:...
, by transposition) - 3.Qg4 (Vienna GameVienna GameThe Vienna Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:White's second move is less common than 2.Nf3, and is also of more recent vintage; a book reviewer wrote in the New York Times in 1888 that "since Morphy only one new opening has been introduced, the 'Vienna.The original idea behind...
, by transposition)
Other Black responses
Other Black second moves are rarely played. If Black tries to transpose into the Hungarian Defense with 2...Be7?, then 3.Qh5 wins a pawn.The Calabrian Countergambit (2...f5?!) is named after Greco's homeland, Calabria
Calabria
Calabria , in antiquity known as Bruttium, is a region in southern Italy, south of Naples, located at the "toe" of the Italian Peninsula. The capital city of Calabria is Catanzaro....
. It is considered dubious as the line recommended by Carl Jaenisch
Carl Jaenisch
Carl Friedrich Andreyevich von Jaenisch was a Finnish and Russian chess player and theorist. In the 1840s, he was among the top players in the world.-Life and career:...
, 3.d3 Nf6 4.f4 d6 5.Nf3, gives White the advantage.
Summary of other Black responses
- 2...c6 (Philidor Counterattack)
- 2...Nc6
- 2...d6
- 2...f5?! (Calabrian Countergambit)
- 3.d3 (Jaenisch Variation)
External links
- 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.