Bishop's Opening: Boi Variation: what should White play?

In the Bishop's Opening: Boi Variation, White reaches a critical juncture where the engine-recommended continuation is Qxe5+. This move, played in 77.3% of the 560,000 recorded games at this position, exploits the hanging pawn on e5 while simultaneously delivering a check to the Black king. With an engine evaluation of +5.65, this capture secures a decisive material advantage and forces Black into a defensive posture.

The tactical impact of Qxe5+

The move Qxe5+ is the most frequent choice in master and amateur databases alike, appearing in 442,000 recorded games. By capturing the pawn, White forces the Black king to move, as seen in the main line Qxe5+ Kf8 Qxc5+ Kg7 d3 c6. This sequence results in the capture of the c5 bishop, leaving White up significant material. The evaluation of +5.65 reflects the near-winning advantage White gains by dismantling Black's center and king safety early in the opening.

Defensive alternatives for White

While the capture on e5 is the primary recommendation, other moves exist that maintain a smaller advantage. The move Qf3 is the second most popular choice, played in 19.3% of games (110,000 instances). This retreat defends the f2 square and prepares for a slower development, leading to lines such as Qf3 Qe7 d3 d6 Ne2 c6. Similarly, Qd1 and Qe2 offer evaluations of +0.39 and +0.44 respectively, though they are significantly less forcing than the main line.

Risks of the Bxf7+ sacrifice

A small fraction of games (0.3%) feature the sacrifice Bxf7+. While this move draws the Black king out, the engine evaluation drops to +0.03, indicating near equality. The resulting line Bxf7+ Kxf7 Qxe5 Bxf2+ Kxf2 Nf6 shows that Black gains sufficient counterplay through the exposed position of the White king and rapid development of the kingside knight. Consequently, this tactical shot is considered less effective than the immediate capture with the queen.