Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit
The Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit arises from a Petrov move order: after 3.Bc4 Nxe4, White plays 4.Nc3 and gives the e-pawn for development. Black can trade with ...Nxc3 and hold e5 with ...f6, while White wants open lines, quick castling and pressure on f7 and the e-file.
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3
- ECO
- C27
- Engine
- −0.63 · a slight edge for Black (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 309 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 55.5%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- After ...Nxc3, recapture dxc3 to open the d-file and the c1 bishop, then castle and play Re1.
- Nxe5 ideas hit f7 with bishop and knight together, so Black must watch the f7 square every move.
- If Black plays ...Nc6, Nxe4 and a bishop retreat win the pawn back with a free game.
Black
- ...Nxc3 and ...f6 hold the e5 pawn and keep the extra pawn, as the main engine line shows.
- Develop with ...Nc6 and ...d6 behind the f6 and e5 chain, then castle short when the light squares are safe.
- Avoid early queen adventures; the open lines toward f7 and e8 favor White's faster pieces.
Plans and pawn structure
If Black keeps the pawn with ...Nxc3 and ...f6, White gets doubled c-pawns but open lines: the d-file, the c1 bishop and a rook on e1. White's plan is to attack before ...d6 and ...Be6 untangle Black's position. Black's plan is slow consolidation: ...Nc6, ...d6, ...Be6 to trade the c4 bishop, then castle. a4 in the engine line gains queenside space and keeps options open.
Where the engine's main line heads: White has doubled c-pawns. White's c-pawns are doubled, usually after ...Bxc3 bxc3. In return White keeps the bishop pair and a solid center.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.63: a slight edge for Black. Its three top choices for Black:
- −0.63 4...Nxc3 5.dxc3 f6 6.O-O Nc6 7.Re1
- −0.15 4...Nc6 5.Nxe4 d5 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4
- +0.07 4...Nf6 5.Nxe5 d5 6.Bb3 c6 7.d4
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
309 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 55.5%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Where it goes next
- Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein Defense4...d5 · rare
How to play against it
As Black, take the knight with ...Nxc3 and support e5 with ...f6. Get ...Nc6 and ...d6 in before White opens the e-file with Re1. Keep a close eye on Bxf7+ and Ng5 shots while your king is in the center.
Questions
What are the moves of the Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit?
The Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxe4 4.Nc3. Its ECO code is C27.
Is the Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit good for White?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.63 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for Black. In 309 lichess games from our sample, White scored 55.5%. A lively gambit for attacking White players; Black who knows ...Nxc3 and ...f6 keeps the pawn but must defend carefully.
What is the main idea of the Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit?
White gives the e4 pawn for fast development and open lines toward f7. Black can trade on c3 and hold with ...f6, then must consolidate with ...Nc6, ...d6 and castling.
What should Black play next?
The engine's first choice is Nxc3, with Nc6 and Nf6 close behind. 4...Nxc3 trades off a defender and gives White doubled pawns, and ...f6 next holds the extra pawn.
Related lines
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.