Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly
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Statistics from Lichess
34,687 games: White 51.6% / Draw 4.2% / Black 44.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 16,84517K | ||
| 6,4786,478 | ||
| 2,9392,939 | ||
| 2,3812,381 | ||
| 1,8961,896 | ||
| 1,5481,548 | ||
| 845845 | ||
| 566566 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 24, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.18 White is better
Best play: 5. Nxe5 d5 6. exd5 b5 7. Bb3 Bd6 8. d4 Nbd7 9. f4 Bb7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Bishop's Opening: Kitchener Folly (ECO C24, Open Games) is a variation of the Bishop's Opening: Berlin Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Nf6 3. d3 Be7 4. Nf3 O-O (4 moves).
In 34,687 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.6%, Black 44.1% and 4.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nxe5, 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: Kitchener Folly
The most played answer, 5. Nxe5, also scores best for White: 56.0%, with White winning 54.1% and Black 42.0% of 17K games. Of the main answers, 5. Nc3 scores lowest: 50.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. Nxe5.
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: Kitchener Folly (C24)”. Lichess data as of 24 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bishops-opening-kitchener-folly