Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
14,581 games: White 60.0% / Draw 3.4% / Black 36.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,1647,164 | ||
| 5,4355,435 | ||
| 1,2361,236 | ||
| 539539 | ||
| 9797 | ||
| 4242 | ||
| 2222 | ||
| 1515 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 5. Bxd5 Nf6 6. Bb3 Bd6 7. d4 exd4 8. Nxd4 O-O 9. O-O Bg4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein Defense (ECO C27, Open Games) is a gambit in the Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nxe4 4. Nc3 d5 (4 moves).
In 14,581 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 60.0%, Black 36.6% and 3.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nxd5, in 49% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein Defense
5. Bxd5 scores best for White: 71.8%, with White winning 70.4% and Black 26.8% of 5,435 games. The most played, 5. Nxd5, scores 58.1% in 7,164 games, and 5. Nxe4 scores lowest: 48.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Bxd5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bishop's Opening: Boden-Kieseritzky Gambit, Lichtenhein Defense (C27)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bishops-opening-boden-kieseritzky-gambit-lichtenhein-defense