- Bishop's Opening
] However, he was unable to prove this by defeating players stronger than himself. Adams, whom Grandmaster
Larry Evans described as "linked to the radical right wing of chess," later abandoned the Bishop's Opening for theVienna Game , claiming that the latter opening, rather than the Bishop's Opening, led to a win for White. [cite book
last=Evans
first=Larry
authorlink=Larry Evans
title=Chess Catechism
publisher=Simon and Schuster
date=1970
pages=147, 153
isbn=671-21531-0] GrandmasterNick 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. [cite book
last=de Firmian
first=Nick
authorlink=Nick de Firmian
title=Modern Chess Openings
publisher=David McKay Company
date=1999
pages=144-45
isbn=0-8129-3084-3] and notes that, "Among modern players onlyBent Larsen has played it much, but even Kasparov gave it a whirl." ["Id." at 143.]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.
The
Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings assigns Bishop's Opening the ECO codes C23 and C24.After 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4, Black's choice of a second move can be divided into three categories.
*2...Nf6 (Berlin Defense)
*2...Bc5 (Classical Defense)
*2...otherBerlin Defense (2...Nf6)
*3.Nc3 (Vienna Game, by transposition)
*3.d3
*3.d4 (Ponziani's Gambit)
**3...exd4 4.Qxd4 Nc6 (Center Game , by transposition)
**3...exd4 4.Nf3 (Urusov Gambit )
***4...Bc5 5.0-0 Nc6 (Max Lange Attack , by transposition)
***4...Nc6 (Two Knights Defense , by transposition)
***4...Nxe4 5.Qxd4 (Urusov Gambit Accepted)
*3.Nf3 (Petrov's Defense, by transposition)
**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 Gambit , by transposition)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 while preventing Black from playing Petrov's Defense. For example, 2...Nf6 3.d3 Nc6 4.Nf3 Bc5 reaches the quietGiuoco Pianissimo .The Urusov Gambit is named after
Russia n Prince Sergey Semyonovich Urusov (August 3 1848 . English player and chess writerSamuel Boden published the first analysis of it in . 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 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 Fischer in "My 60 Memorable Games", "White has no compensation for the Pawn." [cite book
last=Fischer
first=Bobby
authorlink=Bobby Fischer
title=My 60 Memorable Games
publisher=Faber and Faber
date=1972
pages=280-81
isbn=0-571-09987-4]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.
Classical Defense (2...Bc5)
*3.b4 (
Wing Gambit )
*3.c3 (Philidor Variation)
**3...d5 (Lewis Countergambit)
**3...d6
**3...Nf6
*3.Nc3 (Vienna Game , by transposition)
*3.d3
*3.Nf3 (Giuoco Piano , by transposition)
*3.Qg4 (Vienna Game , by transposition)The Classical Defense is Black's symmetrical response, 2...Bc5.White can then transpose into the
Vienna Game (3.Nc3) or theGiuoco 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 Nf64. d4 exd45. e5 d5!6. exf6 dxc47. Qh5 0-08. Qxc5 Re8+9. Ne2 d310.Be3Transpositions into theKing's Gambit Declined and the Giuoco Piano are also possible after 3.d3.The
Wing Gambit results in positions similar to those in theEvans 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 .
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.Other Black second moves
*2...c6 (Philidor Counterattack)
*2...Nc6
*2...d6
*2...f5?! (Calabrian Countergambit)
**3.d3 (Jaenisch Variation)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 .It is considered dubious as the line recommended byCarl Jaenisch , 3.d3 Nf6 4.f4 d6 5.Nf3, gives White the advantage.References
*cite book | author=Hooper, David and
Kenneth Whyld | title=The Oxford Companion to Chess | publisher=Oxford University| year=1996 | id=ISBN 0-19-280049-3
*cite book|last=Lane|first=Gary|authorlink=Gary Lane|title=The Bishop's Opening Explained|publisher=Batsford|year=2004|id=ISBN 0-7134-8917-0Books
* White to Play and Win ISBN 978-0-923891-83-1
External links
*Goeller, Michael. [http://www.rci.rutgers.edu/~goeller/urusov/bishops/index.html The Bishop's Opening] .
*Harding, Tim (August 1998). [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kibitz27.txt The Kibitzer: What Exactly is the Bishop's Opening?] . "ChessCafe.com".
*Harding, Tim (September 1998). [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kibitz28.txt The Kibitzer: The Eternal Appeal Of The Urusov Gambit] . "ChessCafe.com".
*Harding, Tim (October 1998). [http://www.chesscafe.com/text/kibitz29.txt The Kibitzer: Is the Urusov Gambit Sound?] . "ChessCafe.com".
*
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.