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| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | C47–C49 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Knights on c3, c6, f3, f6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | Three Knights Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:
This is the most common sequence, but the knights may develop in any order to reach the same position.
The opening is fairly popular with beginners who strictly adhere to the opening principle: "Develop knights before bishops." It was one of the workhorses in the family of the Open Game, at even the highest levels, until World War I. Thereafter it fell by the wayside, along with a number of other Open Games. In this period ambitious players explored the Ruy Lopez, believing it a better attempt by White to exploit the advantage of the first move. In the 1990s, this opening saw a renaissance, and is now seen in the praxis of players from beginner to grandmaster.
The Four Knights usually leads to quiet positional play, though there are some sharp variations. The Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings has three codes for the Four Knights Game:
- C49: 4.Bb5 Bb4 (Symmetrical Variation)
- C48: 4.Bb5 without 4...Bb4
- C47: 4.d4 and others