ECO C23 · Bishop's Opening

Bishop's Opening: Anderssen Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 c6

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White to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

4. Ba4+1.33

White is clearly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Bishop's Opening: Anderssen Gambit (C23), reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 c6, Stockfish 18 recommends 4. Ba4 for White. White is clearly better (+1.33).

Top engine moves

  1. +1.334. Ba4 d5 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Qf3 e4 7. Qg3 Qa5 8. Nc3 Ba6
  2. +1.124. Be2 d5 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Nxe5 Bd6 7. d4 Nxe4 8. Nd2 Nxd2
  3. +0.644. Bc4 d5 5. exd5 cxd5 6. Bb5+ Bd7 7. Bxd7+ Qxd7 8. d4 e4

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Bishop's Opening: Anderssen Gambit?
After 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 b5 3. Bxb5 c6, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 4. Ba4 for White, continuing d5 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Qf3 e4 7. Qg3 Qa5 8. Nc3 Ba6. White is clearly better (+1.33). The next best moves are 4. Be2 (+1.12) and 4. Bc4 (+0.64).
Is the Bishop's Opening: Anderssen Gambit a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +1.33: white is clearly better. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the Bishop's Opening: Anderssen Gambit?
C23. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; C is the volume for open games and the French Defense.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).