Opening of the Week #2: Four Knights Game

Chess Openings: Four Knights Game

Four Knights game is an old opening with rather placid play. However it does have some dynamic variations as well. It takes the opening theory adage "Develop the Knights before the Bishops" to the extreme. Most professional players prefer to select other Open game openings such as Ruy Lopez when they start a game with 1 e4 e5 because the play is much sharper and confers advantages.

Chess Openings: Four Knights Game 

Category - Open Game

Opening Move Sequence - 1 e4 e5, 2 Nf3 Nc6, 3 Nc3 Nf6.

ECO Codes - C47, C48 and C49

Four Knights game falls under the category of Open Game openings. Its ECO codes are C47, C48 and C49.

Moves and Variations 

1 e4 e5

2 Nf3 Nc6

3 Nc3 Nf6

The sequence in which the Knights are developed can vary.

4 Bb5

Most popular variation from this position is 4 Bb5. Black can reply to that with 4 ... Bb4, 4...Nd4, or 4...Bd6.

If Black plays 4...Bb4, which is named the Symmetrical Variation, most likely outcome will be a draw fairly quick one at that.

4 ... Nd4 called the Rubinstein Variation is more combative. If White plays 5 Nxe5 the play will proceed; 5 ...Qe7, 6 Nf3 (6 f4 Nxb5, 7 Nxb5 d6) Nxb5, 7 Nxb5 Qxe4+, 8 Qe2 Qxe2+, 9 Kxe2 Nd5!, 10 c4 a6!. Black regains the lost pawn and has both bishops intact. Better move would be 5 Ba4 which may lead to 5 ... Bc5!?, 6 Nxe5 0-0, 7 Nd3 Bb6, 8 e5 Ne8 and ... d6. White can also play 5 Nxd4 exd4, 6.e5 dxc3, 7 exf6 Qxf6, (7 ... cxd2+?!, is bad for Black because 8 Bxd2 Qxf6, 9 0-0) 8.dxc3 Qe5+, 9 Qe2 Qxe2+ resulting in a draw.

Black can also try the comparatively novel 4 ... Bd6!?. This neutralizes 5 Bxc6 after 5 %u2026 dxc6. Black will try to move make the following moves to 0-0, Re8, Bf8, and d6 equalize with White.

4 d4

This is called the Scotch Four Knights Game and is a comparatively open game. The same position can be reached from the Scotch Game opening (1 e4 e5, 2 Nf3 Nc6, 3 d4) after the variation 3 %u2026 exd4, 4 Nxd4 Nf6, 5 Nc3. There are few reasons why White may want to reach this position through the Four Knights Game rather than through the Scotch Game. One reason is that Black may branch off by playing 4 %u2026 Bc5 or 4 ... Qh4 instead of 4 %u2026 Nc3. Another reason is White's desire to play the Belgrade Gambit whose move sequence is 1 e4 e5, 2 Nf3 Nc6, 3 Nc3 Nf6, 4 d4 exd4, 5 Nd5. This can not be accomplished through the move sequence in Scotch Game.

4 Bc4

This is called Italian Four Knights. Black by playing 4 ... Bc5 not only maintain the mirror image but enters the Italian Game variation Giuoco Pianissimo. Black can also play 4 ... Nxe4! If white play 5 Nxe4, d5 regains the Knight for Black. After 5 Bxf7+?, White loses the Bishop and a center pawn for a Knight and a side pawn.

4 a3

This move by Polish Grandmaster Pawel Blehm is not very advantageous for White if Black plays 4 %u2026d5, which results in Scotch Four Knights Game Reversed.

4 Nxe5

This move is risky and is called Halloween Gambit. Play may continue 4 ... Nxe5 5 d4 , with White attempting to gain control of center and attempting to drive the Knights back with pawns. However the line of play 5 ... Nc6, 6 d5 Bb4!, 7 dxc6 Nxe4, 8 Qd4 Qe7, will frustrate White

4 g3

This is the Glek Variation. It weakens f3 square and blocks off g3 for piece development. Black can respond by making the sacrifice 4 ... Nxe4. After 5 Nxe4 d5, 6 Nc3 d4, 7 Bg2 the game enters a variation of Vienna Game.

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