Chessy
How to Play Black in the Bishop's Opening: Philidor Counterattack (Qh5)
When White plays 1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 c6 3.Qh5, they are threatening your f7-pawn — a classic beginner's trick. The Philidor Counterattack with 3...Qe7 meets that threat directly, protecting the pawn and asking White what their queen is doing on h5. This is a solid, offbeat line where you, as Black, have excellent practical chances. The engine gives White a small edge at +0.31, but the statistics tell a different story: across over 71,000 games, Black scores 45.9% — much higher than the evaluation would suggest. Most opponents don't know the best follow-up, and that's where you can strike.
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This opening is about punishing White's over-ambitious queen sortie. Your move 3...Qe7 does more than just defend f7 — it develops a piece, prevents any Bxf7+ trick, and prepares to challenge White's centre. The engine says White is slightly better at +0.31, but that assessment assumes White finds the best move Qe2 (which only happens in a tiny fraction of games). In real play, White's most popular choice is 4.Nf3, which the engine calls an inaccuracy that loses about 0.6 pawns. Your job is to recognise that your position is sound, and that most of White's natural-looking replies actually give you the chance to seize the advantage.
The Engine's Best Move: Qe2
If White plays perfectly, they'll retreat the queen to e2 with 4.Qe2. That's not a very inspiring move for them — it admits the queen was misplaced on h5 and hands over the initiative. The engine's line continues: 4...f5 5.d3 Nf6. Here Black has already gained space on the kingside with ...f5, developed the knight to its best square, and can follow up with ...Bc5, ...0-0, or even ...d5 next. You've got active piece play and a comfortable position. The key point: White's queen is on e2 doing nothing special, while your pieces are finding natural aggressive squares.
What the Statistics Reveal
The Lichess database of 71,266 games at this exact position gives White 49.6%, draws 4.5%, and Black 45.9%. That is a remarkably good score for Black — much closer to equality than the +0.31 evaluation suggests. Why the gap? Because the most-played White moves all lose ground:
Punish White's Inaccuracies
The three most common replies from White are all mistakes, and you should know how to handle each: - 4.Nf3 is played in over half of all games (39,785), but it's an inaccuracy. White should have gone Qe2 instead. You can proceed with developing moves like ...d6 or ...Nf6, keeping your solid structure. - 4.d3 is also an inaccuracy (17,202 games). White gives up about 0.5 pawns here. This often leads to a slow game where you can build with ...Nf6, ...Be7, and ...0-0. - 4.d4 (1,753 games), 4.Bxf7+ (1,084 games), and 4.b3 (999 games) all score terribly for White (40.0%, 30.4%, and 39.8% respectively). If your opponent tries Bxf7+, you just take with the king — that bishop sacrifice is completely unsound when your queen covers the square. The takeaway: trust the position, develop naturally, and White's queen on h5 will soon feel silly.
Results across 71,266 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 39,785 | 52.8% |
| d3 | 17,202 | 46.7% |
| Nc3 | 6,845 | 51.3% |
| d4 | 1,753 | 40.0% |
| Bxf7+ | 1,084 | 30.4% |
| b3 | 999 | 39.8% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Philidor Counterattack with Qh5 a good opening for Black?
Yes — it scores nearly 46% in practice, despite the engine giving White a small theoretical edge. Most White players don't know the best response (Qe2), and the popular moves like Nf3 and d3 are inaccuracies that give Black comfortable play. It's a solid surprise weapon.
What is White's best move after 3...Qe7?
The engine recommends 4.Qe2, retreating the queen. White gives away the initiative by admitting the queen was poorly placed on h5. After 4...f5 5.d3 Nf6, Black has active development and space on the kingside. White's queen on e2 does very little.
Should I be afraid of White playing Bxf7+?
Not at all. If White tries 4.Bxf7+, you recapture with your king (Kxf7). The engine gives White a terrible 30.4% score with this move — it's completely unsound because your queen on e7 covers the f7 square. You just end up with an extra piece for no compensation.
How should Black respond to the most common move 4.Nf3?
Simply continue developing naturally — moves like ...d6, ...Nf6, and ...Be7 are all good. White's knight on f3 blocks the queen from retreating to f3, and the queen on h5 remains awkward. You have a solid position with no weaknesses, and White's 4.Nf3 is rated as an inaccuracy by the engine.