Bishop's Opening: Lisitsyn Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,088 games: White 50.0% / Draw 4.9% / Black 45.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 649649 | ||
| 198198 | ||
| 9797 | ||
| 4343 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 1212 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 88 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.07 The position is about equal
Best play: 8... Bc5 9. Bf4 Nc6 10. O-O Nge7 11. Bg3 O-O 12. Nf4 Re8 13. Nd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Bishop's Opening: Lisitsyn Variation (ECO C23, Open Games) is a variation of the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Counterattack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Bc4 c6 3. d4 d5 4. exd5 cxd5 5. Bb5+ Bd7 6. Bxd7+ Nxd7 7. dxe5 Nxe5 8. Ne2 (8 moves).
In 1,088 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.0%, Black 45.1% and 4.9% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Nf6, in 60% 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: Lisitsyn Variation
8…Bc5 scores best for Black: 49.0%, with Black winning 47.0% and White 49.0% of 198 games. The most played answer, 8…Nf6, scores lowest: 47.3% in 649 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 8…Bc5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Lisitsyn Variation (C23)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/bishops-opening-lisitsyn-variation