- ECO code
- C47
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4
- Family
- Four Knights Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 329
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1919–2026
Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted is the opening filed under ECO code C47, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4. It belongs to the Four Knights Game family and is known as the Scotch Variation Accepted; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 329 games on this line — the 286th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1919 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 194 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 18% of those games, 64% end in a draw, and Black wins 18%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 10 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 29 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5.Nxd4, played in 319 games, followed by 5.Nd5 (10). After 5.Nxd4 White scores 17% and Black 18%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Paravyan,D (18 games); on the Black side, Caruana,F (27).
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Results in master games
- White 18% (59)
- Draws 64% (210)
- Black 18% (60)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.Nxd4 | 319 | 17/65/18 | — |
| 5.Nd5 | 10 | 60/30/10 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- King's Knight Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 · 21,895 games
- King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 19,295 games
- Three Knights Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 · 1,180 games
- Four Knights Game · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 · 1,058 games
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 · 347 games
Played most often by
As White
- Paravyan,D 18
- Carlsen,M 16
- Karjakin,Sergey 16
As Black
- Caruana,F 27
- Aronian,L 22
- Nakamura,Hi 20
Games per decade
- 1910s 1
- 1920s 11
- 1930s 2
- 1940s 5
- 1950s 10
- 1960s 2
- 1970s 2
- 1980s 2
- 1990s 12
- 2000s 11
- 2010s 77
- 2020s 194
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsen,M | Lazavik,Denis | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 |
| Andreikin,D | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 29th Jan 2026 |
| Paravyan,D | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 30th Jun 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Lazavik,Denis | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Popov,Tikhon | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Liang,Awonder | Aronian,L | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | American Cup Champ |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted?
It is the opening with ECO code C47, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4. It belongs to the Four Knights Game family.
Is the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted good for White or for Black?
In 329 master games on this line White wins 18%, 64% are drawn and Black wins 18%. 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 Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted?
5.Nxd4 — played in 319 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted?
On the White side Paravyan,D (18), Carlsen,M (16), Karjakin,Sergey (16); on the Black side Caruana,F (27), Aronian,L (22), Nakamura,Hi (20).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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