Bishop's Opening: Lewis Countergambit
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Statistics from Lichess
2,181 games: White 39.4% / Draw 2.8% / Black 57.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,4551,455 | ||
| 596596 | ||
| 4343 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 66 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. Bxd5 Nf6 5. d4 exd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Bd2 Bxd2+ 8. Qxd2 c6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Bishop's Opening: Lewis Countergambit (ECO C23, Open Games) is a gambit in the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 Bc5 3. c3 d5 (3 moves).
In 2,181 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 39.4%, Black 57.8% and 2.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. exd5, in 67% of those games.
It continues into one named variation. In all, 2 named lines continue from it.
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: Lewis Countergambit
4. Bxd5 scores best for White: 54.0%, with White winning 53.0% and Black 45.0% of 596 games. The most played answer, 4. exd5, scores lowest: 35.5% in 1,455 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. 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
Variations (1)
All 2 named lines that continue from here
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Bishop's Opening: Lewis Countergambit (C23)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bishops-opening-lewis-countergambit