Four Knights Game
What is the Four Knights Game?
The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6. It is classified under ECO C47–C50 and has 49 named variations. Black chooses it with the move Nf6.
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6
ECO: C47–C50
Chosen by: Black
Main variations
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. a3
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nd5
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4
All 49 variations
| ECO | Variation | Moves |
|---|---|---|
| C47 | Main line | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 |
| C47 | Glek System | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 |
| C47 | Gunsberg Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. a3 |
| C47 | Halloween Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 |
| C47 | Italian Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 |
| C47 | Naroditsky Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nd5 |
| C47 | Scotch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 |
| C50 | Italian Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Bc5 4. Nc3 Nf6 |
| C47 | Scotch Variation Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Classical Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Double Spanish | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 |
| C47 | Gunsberg Variation, Provincial Opening | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. a3 d6 5. h3 |
| C47 | Italian Variation, Noa Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nxe4 5. Bxf7+ |
| C47 | Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 |
| C47 | Scotch Variation, Krause Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Nxe5 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 a6 5. Bxc6 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Be2 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation Accepted | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxd4 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Henneberger Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. O-O |
| C47 | Scotch Variation, Krause Gambit, Leonhardt Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Nxe5 Qe7 |
| C47 | Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. d5 Nd4 |
| C47 | Scotch Variation, Schmid Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nxe4 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Double Spanish | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxe5 Qe7 6. f4 |
| C47 | Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit, Modern Defense | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 Nxe4 6. Qe2 f5 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Ba4 Bc5 6. Nxe5 O-O |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxe5 Bc5 6. O-O O-O |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 |
| C47 | Glek System | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nxc3 7. bxc3 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Ne2 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Alatortsev Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Qe7 7. Ne2 d5 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Gunsberg Counterattack | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Nd5 Nxd5 7. exd5 e4 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Svenonius Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d5 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Ne7 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Tarrasch Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Be6 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Janowski Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d6 8. Re1 |
| C47 | Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer Variation | 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Ng6 6. e5 Ng8 7. Bc4 Bb4 8. Qf3 f5 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Metger Unpin | 1. 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 |
| C47 | Scotch Variation Accepted, 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 O-O 9. O-O |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Bardeleben Variation | 1. 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 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Maróczy Variation | 1. 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 |
| C48 | Spanish Variation, Spielmann Variation | 1. 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 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation | 1. 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 |
| C49 | Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Blake Variation | 1. 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 |
| C47 | Halloween Gambit, Plasma Variation | 1. 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 |
How to learn an opening
Learn the ideas before the moves: where the pieces go, which pawn breaks matter and what the typical middlegame plans are. Then play it, and after each game look up the point where you or your opponent left the known moves. MentoChess shows that point automatically for every game you import.
Opening lessons: Three golden opening rules · Scholar’s mate and how to stop it · Italian Game: plans, not just moves · Answering 1.d4: the Queen’s Gambit Declined · Meeting the Sicilian with 2.c3 · From moves to structures