- ECO code
- C46
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3
- Family
- Three Knights Opening
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 1,180
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1857–2026
Three Knights Opening is the opening filed under ECO code C46, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3. It belongs to the Three Knights Opening family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 1,180 games on this line — the 98th 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 505 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 26% of those games, 47% end in a draw, and Black wins 27%. That is close to the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%). Draws are more common here than usual, by 12 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3...Nf6, played in 1,058 games, followed by 3...g6 (65) and 3...Bb4 (35). 3...Nf6 leads into Four Knights Game. After 3...Nf6 White scores 26% and Black 24%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Wei Yi (49 games); on the Black side, Shirov,A (55).
4 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Four Knights Game; Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation; Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation.
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 26% (307)
- Draws 47% (560)
- Black 27% (313)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3...Nf6 | 1,058 | 26/50/24 | Four Knights Game |
| 3...g6 | 65 | 20/23/57 | — |
| 3...Bb4 | 35 | 31/40/29 | — |
| 3...Bc5 | 10 | 70/0/30 | — |
| 3...d6 | 7 | 29/29/42 | — |
| 3...f5 | 3 | 0/33/67 | — |
| 3...a6 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
| 3...Nge7 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
Variations from this position
- Four Knights Game · 3...Nf6 · 1,058 games
- Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation · 3...Nf6 4.Bb5 · 501 games
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation · 3...Nf6 4.d4 · 347 games
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted · 3...Nf6 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
Played most often by
As White
- Wei Yi 49
- Carlsen,M 35
- Caruana,F 33
As Black
- Shirov,A 55
- Caruana,F 51
- Nakamura,Hi 48
Games per decade
- 1850s 4
- 1870s 9
- 1880s 13
- 1890s 6
- 1900s 62
- 1910s 75
- 1920s 74
- 1930s 34
- 1940s 24
- 1950s 24
- 1960s 16
- 1970s 10
- 1980s 20
- 1990s 53
- 2000s 45
- 2010s 206
- 2020s 505
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 Three Knights Opening?
It is the opening with ECO code C46, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3. It belongs to the Three Knights Opening family.
Is the Three Knights Opening good for White or for Black?
In 1,180 master games on this line White wins 26%, 47% are drawn and Black wins 27%. 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 Three Knights Opening?
3...Nf6 — played in 1,058 of the master games on this line, which leads into Four Knights Game.
Which grandmasters play the Three Knights Opening?
On the White side Wei Yi (49), Carlsen,M (35), Caruana,F (33); on the Black side Shirov,A (55), Caruana,F (51), Nakamura,Hi (48).
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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