C47

Four Knights Game

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6

The position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6, White to move.

In the Four Knights Game, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.

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The Four Knights Game is a chess opening classified under ECO code C47. It is reached after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6: 6 moves in, with White to play.

Learn its typical plans and pawn structures rather than memorizing moves — that’s what holds up over the board.

39 named variations branch from this position; the list at the end of the page goes one move deeper into each.

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Variations of the Four Knights Game

Glek System1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nxc3 7. bxc3
Gunsberg Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. a3
Halloween Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5
Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Ng6 6. e5 Ng8 7. Bc4 Bb4 8. Qf3 f5
Halloween Gambit, Plasma Variation1. 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 Rb8
Italian Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3
Italian Variation, Noa Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nxe4 5. Bxf7+
Naroditsky Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nd5
Scotch Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4
Scotch Variation Accepted1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4
Scotch Variation Accepted, Main Line1. 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-O
Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5
Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit, Modern Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 Nxe4 6. Qe2 f5
Scotch Variation, Krause Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Nxe5
Scotch Variation, Krause Gambit, Leonhardt Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Nxe5 Qe7
Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. d5 Nd4
Scotch Variation, Schmid Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nxe4
Spanish1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5
Spanish Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5
Spanish Variation, Bardeleben Variation1. 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 Bb4
Spanish Variation, Classical Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5
Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 a6 5. Bxc6
Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxe5 Qe7 6. f4
Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation Accepted1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxd4
Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Henneberger Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. O-O
Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Ba4 Bc5 6. Nxe5 O-O
Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxe5 Bc5 6. O-O O-O
Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Maroczy Variation1. 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 Bb6
Spanish Variation, Spielmann Variation1. 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 Qd5
Spanish Variation, Alatortsev Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Qe7 7. Ne2 d5
Spanish Variation, Double Spanish1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3
Spanish Variation, Gunsberg Counterattack1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Nd5 Nxd5 7. exd5 e4
Spanish Variation, Janowski Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d6 8. Re1
Spanish Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6
Spanish Variation, Svenonius Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d5
Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation1. 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 Bg4
Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Blake Variation1. 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 Qd6
Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Metger Unpin1. 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
Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Tarrasch Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Be6

Related openings

Four Knights Game: Glek System Four Knights Game: Gunsberg Variation Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer Variation Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Plasma Variation Four Knights Game: Italian Variation Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, Noa Gambit Four Knights Game: Naroditsky Variation Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted

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