- ECO code
- C47
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6
- Family
- Four Knights Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 1,058
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1857–2026
Four Knights Game is the opening filed under ECO code C47, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6. It belongs to the Four Knights Game family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,058 games on this line — the 108th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1857 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 475 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 26% of those games, 50% end in a draw, and Black wins 24%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 4 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 15 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.Bb5, played in 501 games, followed by 4.d4 (347) and 4.h3 (85). 4.Bb5 leads into Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation. After 4.Bb5 White scores 27% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Wei Yi (48 games); on the Black side, Caruana,F (51).
3 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation; Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation; Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted.
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Results in master games
- White 26% (274)
- Draws 50% (528)
- Black 24% (256)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Bb5 | 501 | 27/50/23 | Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation |
| 4.d4 | 347 | 20/61/19 | Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation |
| 4.h3 | 85 | 45/26/29 | — |
| 4.g3 | 43 | 21/35/44 | — |
| 4.a3 | 24 | 21/29/50 | — |
| 4.Nd5 | 19 | 32/32/36 | — |
| 4.Bc4 | 14 | 29/35/36 | — |
| 4.Be2 | 13 | 39/38/23 | — |
Variations from this position
- Spanish Variation · 4.Bb5 · 501 games
- Scotch Variation · 4.d4 · 347 games
- Scotch Variation Accepted · 4.d4 exd4 · 329 games
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
Played most often by
As White
- Wei Yi 48
- Carlsen,M 34
- Caruana,F 33
As Black
- Caruana,F 51
- Grischuk,A 41
- Nakamura,Hi 41
Games per decade
- 1850s 2
- 1880s 4
- 1890s 3
- 1900s 53
- 1910s 58
- 1920s 68
- 1930s 25
- 1940s 19
- 1950s 19
- 1960s 10
- 1970s 7
- 1980s 19
- 1990s 51
- 2000s 45
- 2010s 200
- 2020s 475
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsen,M | Lazavik,Denis | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 |
| Ashraf,Artin | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 1st Jan 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Suleymanli,Aydin | 1-0 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Pranav,V | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Ponomariov,R | 1-0 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz 2026 |
| Andreikin,D | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 29th Jan 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Four Knights Game?
It is the opening with ECO code C47, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6. It belongs to the Four Knights Game family.
Is the Four Knights Game good for White or for Black?
In 1,058 master games on this line White wins 26%, 50% are drawn and Black wins 24%. 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?
4.Bb5 — played in 501 of the master games on this line, which leads into Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Four Knights Game?
On the White side Wei Yi (48), Carlsen,M (34), Caruana,F (33); on the Black side Caruana,F (51), Grischuk,A (41), Nakamura,Hi (41).
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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