The Bishop's Opening arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4. ECO codes: C23–C24.

History

One of the oldest analysed openings, studied by Lucena and Ruy López. It attacks f7 and prevents Black from advancing ...d5 easily. The opening gained popularity through Philidor's analysis and was used by Bent Larsen and Garry Kasparov in the modern era.

Main Lines

• 2...Nf6 – The Berlin Defence (C24), Black's most active response.

• 2...Bc5 – The Classical Variation, often transposing into the Giuoco Piano.

• 2...c6 – The Philidor Counterattack.

• 2...f5 – The Calabrese Counter-Gambit, considered dubious.

Strategic Themes & Plans

White preserves f2–f4 possibilities and targets f7. The opening can transpose into the Giuoco Piano, Vienna Game, or King\'s Gambit. Modern assessment suggests it "leads to equality with best play by both sides."