The Bishop's Opening

What is the best defense against the Bishop's Opening (1. e4, e5  2. Bc4)?

A different topic very similar to this used the same word "best."

There is no best, otherwise chess would be boring.

Anyway, there a few different thing that can happen from there like a four knights or a vienna. Most games you'll be able to play 2...Nf6 3...Bc5 4...d6 5...0-0 for a fine game.

Probably more important to be comfortable with the various pawn structures that may arise so you can find good places for your pieces. For example sometimes white may want c3 for a pawn (to support d4) or for the knight (keeping the pawn on c2). Sometimes white may play f4 in vienna style, or again block with a knight, Nf3.

One bit of good news that most beginners slamming 2.Bc4 on the board fail to appreciate is that 2.Nf3 is the old standard for very good reasons - it forces black to make a particular move (defending the pawn). The bishop's opening - as opposed to the Italian - gives black the opportunity to go 2...Nf6, preventing the scholar's mate and other f7 shenannigans that many, many, MANY beginners try to get up to. 

 

 

Yeah the Bishops opening is playable.

The funny part is I have never faced it.

My sincere thanks to all of you for these detailed comments.  I've been playing (not on chess.com) against someone who just loves the Bishop's Opening, and I've been at my wits' end trying to deal with it.  You've all been very helpful.  

Possibly helpful:

Beating the open games, Mihail Marin

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626195205/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen102.pdf

Open-Games-Black-Igor-Lysyj

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627104938/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen159.pdf

 Play the Open Games as Black by John Emms

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627022601/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen11.txt

Bologan's Black Weapons in the Open Games

http://www.jeremysilman.com/shop/pc/Bologans-Black-Weapons-in-the-Open-Games-76p3873.htm

Starting Out: Open Games by GM Glenn Flear (2010)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232452/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen134.pdf

Play 1 e4 e5! by Nigel Davies (2006)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626201436/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen80.pdf

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627083715/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen98.pdf

The Kaufman Repertoire for Black & White by Larry Kaufman (2012)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626221508/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen162.pdf

Opening Repertoire: The Open Games with Black by Martin Lokander (2015)

Playing 1.e4 e5: A Classical Repertoire by Nikolaos Ntirlis

Today at higher levels the Bishop Opening tends to be played positionally, or as a way to reach the Italian Game with out having to worry about Petroff’s Defense. Anciently and by some amateurs it is played tactilely, with attacks focusing on the f7 pawn. Modern analysis suggest that The Berlin Defense (2…, Nf6) is the best way to answer 2 Bc4. Other main lines are the Classical (2…, Bc5) and 2…, d3, which as I recall is becoming more popular at higher levels. One way to improve your odds of winning is to change the nature of the game. If your friend is playing the opening from a positional perspective you might consider 2…, f5 (the Calabrese Counter Gambit). Another idea would be to change the nature of the game by playing the French (1…, e6, 2…, d5). Playing 2 Bc4 dose not work against the French.

What about taking the pawn if Nc3? That was recommended in Taylor's Play the Open Games as Black repertiore book and it's what I play.

Oh my goodness!  More and yet more good information.  Thank you all!  And a merry Christmas to everyone!

The following books deal extensively with the Bishop's Opening - both are repertoire books for White, by John Emms....

Beating 1e4 e5

http://www.amazon.com/Beating-1e4-e5-Repertoire-White/dp/1857446178/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450981439&sr=1-1&keywords=beating+1+e4+e5

Attacking With 1 e4

http://www.amazon.com/Attacking-Everyman-Chess-John-Emms/dp/1857442679/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450981605&sr=1-1&keywords=attacking+with+1+e4

3.Nxc3 Nxe4 is absolutely fine, of course, but if Black wants to play for a win the he should probably go for 3...Nc6- 3...Nxe4 4.Qh5 Nd6 5.Bb3 (5.Qxe5+ is also quite drawish) Be7 (the safe choice) is quite equal, and the proper Dracula variation is probably fine for correspondence, but for OTB play it requires a lot of memorization, which is really not worth the effort.

Thanks also to the last two contributors.  I should be doing much better after getting so much good advice!