- ECO code
- A28
- Moves
- 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6
- Family
- English Opening
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 610
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1906–2026
English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation is the opening filed under ECO code A28, reached after 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6. It belongs to the English Opening family and is known as the King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 610 games on this line — the 179th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1906 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 207 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 30% of those games, 44% end in a draw, and Black wins 26%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are more common here than usual, by 9 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.g3, played in 298 games, followed by 4.e3 (125) and 4.e4 (58). After 4.g3 White scores 31% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Aronian,L (41 games); on the Black side, Nakamura,Hi (44).
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Results in master games
- White 30% (184)
- Draws 44% (267)
- Black 26% (159)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.g3 | 298 | 31/46/23 | — |
| 4.e3 | 125 | 30/44/26 | — |
| 4.e4 | 58 | 29/37/34 | — |
| 4.d3 | 57 | 30/38/32 | — |
| 4.a3 | 36 | 25/44/31 | — |
| 4.d4 | 32 | 31/44/25 | — |
| 4.h3 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
| 4.Qc2 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
How the position is reached
- English Opening · 1.c4 · 10,834 games
- English Opening: King's English Variation · 1.c4 e5 · 2,529 games
- English Opening: King's English Variation, Reversed Sicilian · 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 · 1,509 games
- English Opening: King's English Variation, Two Knights Variation · 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 · 852 games
Played most often by
As White
- Aronian,L 41
- Nepomniachtchi,I 32
- Carlsen,M 24
As Black
- Nakamura,Hi 44
- Caruana,F 24
- Giri,A 22
Games per decade
- 1900s 1
- 1910s 2
- 1920s 7
- 1930s 6
- 1940s 7
- 1950s 9
- 1960s 17
- 1970s 60
- 1980s 28
- 1990s 52
- 2000s 64
- 2010s 150
- 2020s 207
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lazavik,Denis | Carlsen,M | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 29th Jan 2026 |
| Lazavik,Denis | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Martinez Alcantara,Jose Eduardo | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 5th May 2026 |
| Vakhidov,J | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 21st Apr 2026 |
| Nepomniachtchi,I | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 3rd UzChess Cup Masters |
| So,W | Sevian,Samuel | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | American Cup Champ |
Frequently asked questions
What is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code A28, reached after 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6. It belongs to the English Opening family.
Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation good for White or for Black?
In 610 master games on this line White wins 30%, 44% are drawn and Black wins 26%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation?
4.g3 — played in 298 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation?
On the White side Aronian,L (41), Nepomniachtchi,I (32), Carlsen,M (24); on the Black side Nakamura,Hi (44), Caruana,F (24), Giri,A (22).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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