Four Knights Game
You play White · 31 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
Take a quiz
10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 25
- Scotch Variation Accepted, Main LineC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 O-O 9. O-O9 moves
- Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit, Modern DefenseC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 Nxe4 6. Qe2 f56 moves
- Scotch Variation, Krause Gambit, Leonhardt DefenseC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Nxe5 Qe75 moves
- Scotch Variation, Oxford GambitC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. d5 Nd45 moves
- Scotch Variation, Schmid DefenseC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nxe45 moves
- Spanish Variation, Spielmann VariationC481. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 a6 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. Nxe5 Nxe4 7. Nxe4 Qd4 8. O-O Qxe5 9. Re1 Be6 10. d4 Qd510 moves
- Spanish Variation, Symmetrical VariationC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Qe7 9. Re1 Nd8 10. d4 Bg410 moves
- Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Blake VariationC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Ne7 8. Nh4 c6 9. Bc4 d5 10. Bb3 Qd610 moves
- Spanish Variation, Bardeleben VariationC481. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5 5. O-O O-O 6. Nxe5 Nxe5 7. d4 Bd6 8. f4 Nc6 9. e5 Bb49 moves
- Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Maróczy VariationC481. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Be2 Nxf3+ 6. Bxf3 Bc5 7. O-O O-O 8. d3 d6 9. Na4 Bb69 moves
- Spanish Variation, Janowski VariationC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d6 8. Re18 moves
- Spanish Variation, Alatortsev VariationC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Qe7 7. Ne2 d57 moves
- Spanish Variation, Gunsberg CounterattackC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Nd5 Nxd5 7. exd5 e47 moves
- Spanish Variation, Svenonius VariationC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d57 moves
- Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Tarrasch VariationC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Be67 moves
- Spanish Variation, Symmetrical VariationC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Ne27 moves
- Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall GambitC481. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Ba4 Bc5 6. Nxe5 O-O6 moves
- Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall VariationC481. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxe5 Bc5 6. O-O O-O6 moves
- Spanish Variation, Nimzowitsch VariationC491. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc66 moves
- Spanish Variation, Rubinstein VariationC481. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxe5 Qe7 6. f46 moves
- Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation AcceptedC481. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxd45 moves
- Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Henneberger VariationC481. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. O-O5 moves
- Italian Variation, Noa GambitC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nxe4 5. Bxf7+5 moves
- Halloween Gambit, Plasma VariationC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Nc6 6. d5 Ne5 7. f4 Ng6 8. e5 Ng8 9. d6 cxd6 10. exd6 Qf6 11. Nb5 Rb811 moves
- Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer VariationC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Ng6 6. e5 Ng8 7. Bc4 Bb4 8. Qf3 f58 moves
Other variations · 6
- Glek SystemC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nxc3 7. bxc37 moves
- Gunsberg Variation, Provincial OpeningC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. a3 d6 5. h35 moves
- Naroditsky VariationC471. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nd54 moves
- Schlechter VariationC461. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nd5 Nf64 moves
- Steinitz-Rosenthal VariationC461. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd55 moves
- Winawer DefenseC461. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 f53 moves
What is the Four Knights Game?
The Four Knights Game arises after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6. Both sides bring their knights to their most natural squares and the position is symmetrical, so your task with White is to find a move order that gives a lasting edge. It is a classical, principled opening built on sound development; it is not White's most ambitious try, but it is a reliable, low-risk choice that avoids the long main lines of the Ruy Lopez.
Main ideas and plans
The main choice is the Spanish Four Knights, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5, where the bishop puts pressure on the c6 knight, the defender of e5. Against the Symmetrical Variation, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 d6 7.Bg5, you use the pin on f6 and the solid d3 to build a slow initiative, often aiming to double Black's f-pawns with Bxf6. Black's most respected answer is the Rubinstein Variation, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4, a counterattack in which grabbing the e5 pawn with your knight walks into ...Qe7 tricks, so the usual reply is the calm retreat Ba4.
If you prefer open positions, the Scotch Four Knights, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4, opens the centre at once. In the main line, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5 8.exd5 cxd5 9.O-O O-O 10.Bg5, you pin the f6 knight and play against Black's isolated a-pawn and the d5 pawn. The Belgrade Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5, is a sharper alternative, and the Glek System with g3 and a kingside fianchetto is a quieter, manoeuvring option. Beware of the Italian set-up with Bc4, because the fork trick ...Nxe4 followed by ...d5 frees Black's game easily.
Who is it for?
The Four Knights suits players who like sound development, clear plans and few early surprises, and it is a good way for improving players to learn classical principles in open games. Its downside is that its main lines are known to be close to equal, so you must outplay your opponent in the middlegame rather than win out of the opening. First learn the difference between the Spanish and Scotch versions, the standard plan with d3 and Bg5 in the symmetrical lines, and how to handle the Rubinstein Variation with ...Nd4.