How many gambits are hidden inside the BISHOPS Opening?

The bishops opening is full of gambits for white.

Most common replies by black are 1. Nf6  2. Nc6 and then 3. Bc5 and finally 4. d6.

I will share some of the gambits I know and would be very interested to hear if you know any more.

1. In the Nf6 line you have the Ponziani gambit.

if black plays Nxe4 they usually end up in a lot of trouble after we take the e5 pawn and strand the knight. Bc5 is especially bad

1. if they instead take d4 in the Ponziani gambit, then white can transpose into the Urusov gambit, with Nf3. In this position, it is again (usually) bad for white to take e4.

And if black plays Nc6 in the starting position of the Urusov Gambit , then it tranposes into the Scotch gambit and white has 4 different ideas, all of which are fun for white to play .

2. Nc6 line. I only know one gambit in this line.

This can only be played if black continues with Nf6 and Bc5, but these moves are fairly common. This gambit is called Koltanowski/Deutz Gambit. This is great fun for white , unless black is very well prepared.

3. Bc5. There is the Lewis Gambit. If black plays exd4 , white can simply sacrifice the bishop and dislodge blacks king.

If they instead play Bxd4, we play Nf6 and try to transpose into something very similar to the Koltanowski/Deutz Gambit, where they have no dark bishop.