Chessy
The Bishop's Opening: Boi Variation – You Play Black After 3.Bxf7+
White has just grabbed a pawn with 3.Bxf7+, and you recaptured with your king: 3...Kxf7. It might look scary to have your king in the open this early, but the engine says you are already close to winning. Stockfish evaluates the position at -2.22, a near-winning edge for Black. That means you are much better after just three moves. The drill below lets you prove it — practice defending against White's best try, Qh5+, and learn why this gambit backfires more often than not.
Play the Bishop's Opening: Boi Variation: Bxf7+ against the engine
Free, no signup — you play black, the engine adapts to your level.
Play the interactive drill below: practice defending Black against Qh5+, punish White's mistakes like Qf3+, and turn a near-winning advantage into a full point.
Create a free account →What You're Fighting For: Central Control and King Safety
After 3...Kxf7, your king has moved but your central pawns are intact and your pieces are ready to develop. White, on the other hand, has traded a bishop for a pawn and forced your king to move — but your king is actually quite safe here. You still have the potential to castle artificially (Kg8 followed by Rf8) or simply keep your king on f7 behind a wall of pawns. The key idea: you are up a bishop for a pawn (a material advantage of roughly three points), and White's compensation is minimal. Your plan is straightforward — finish developing, keep your king sheltered, and let your extra piece tell in the middlegame. White's best try is to generate quick threats, but with accurate play you consolidate and win.
White's Best Try: The Immediate Queen Check
The engine's top recommendation for White is Qh5+, which has been played over 456,000 times in the database. The idea is simple: the queen checks your king, attacks e5, and hopes you'll panic. The best response after Qh5+ is Kf8 — retreat the king to a safe square where it doesn't block your pieces. White will then capture on e5 (Qxe5), and you follow up with natural developing moves like d6 or Nf6, kicking the queen and bringing out your pieces with tempo. Remember: you have a whole extra bishop. Even if White picks up a second pawn or two, the material balance still favours you as long as you develop sensibly.
The Most Common Mistake White Makes
Among the most-played replies, one stands out as a clear blunder: Qf3+. This check has been tried over 16,800 times, and White scores only 35.3% with it — much worse than Qh5+. The engine calls Qf3+ a mistake that loses about 1.8 pawns compared to the correct check on h5. Why? Because after Qf3+ you simply play Ke8 or Kg8 (moving your king back to safety), and White's queen has no follow-up. Unlike Qh5+, the queen on f3 doesn't attack anything important, and you can develop freely. If you see Qf3+ in the drill, stay calm, move your king, and you'll have an even bigger advantage than usual.
What the Statistics Reveal
The overall database numbers might surprise you. Across nearly 600,000 games, White wins 53.0% of the time and Black wins only 43.7%. Wait — that seems to contradict the engine's -2.22 evaluation, right? The reason is practical: club players often mishandle the black side, allowing White to complicate or even win back the piece. The position is winning for Black with best play, but it's easy to go wrong. The drill is designed to help you avoid those pitfalls. Focus on getting your king safe (either by staying on f7 behind pawns or retreating to g8), develop your knights to f6 and c6, and don't rush to force a win — your extra bishop will do the work for you.
Results across 598,248 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Qh5+ | 456,095 | 53.7% |
| Nf3 | 72,905 | 53.2% |
| Qf3+ | 16,864 | 35.3% |
| c3 | 15,702 | 53.8% |
| f4 | 9,442 | 55.2% |
| d3 | 9,186 | 48.5% |
Frequently asked questions
Why is the Boi Variation considered good for Black if White wins most games?
The engine gives -2.22, a near-winning advantage for Black, but White wins 53.0% of games in practice because many Black players mishandle the resulting position. The statistics reflect real play at all levels, where it's easy to make a careless move and let White back into the game. With correct play — keeping your king safe and developing normally — you should convert your extra piece.
What is the best move for White after 3...Kxf7?
Stockfish recommends Qh5+, a double attack on your king and the e5-pawn. After you reply Kf8, White captures on e5 with the queen, and you continue developing with moves like d6, Nf6, or Nc6. Qh5+ is by far the most popular continuation, seen in over 456,000 games.
How should I defend against White's queen check on h5?
The simple retreat Kf8 is the engine's top choice. From f8, your king is safe from discovered checks, and it frees your g8-square for a knight. After Qxe5, you can play d6 attacking the queen, or Nf6 developing with tempo. Keep your king away from the centre and let your material advantage grow.
Which White moves in this position are mistakes I should punish?
Qf3+ is a clear mistake that loses about 1.8 pawns compared to Qh5+. Also watch out for c3 and f4, which are inaccuracies. Against all of these, just develop sensibly and your extra piece will decide the game. The drill highlights these moves so you can practice punishing them.