English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation 8. bxc3 Ne5
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Statistics from Lichess
680 games: White 44.4% / Draw 5.7% / Black 49.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 321321 | ||
| 295295 | ||
| 3232 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 55 | ||
| 33 | ||
| 22 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.05 The position is about equal
Best play: 9. f4 Ng6 10. Bxf6 Qxf6 11. g3 O-O 12. Bg2 Re8 13. O-O d6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation (ECO A28, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, reached after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Bg5 h6 7. Bh4 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Ne5 (8 moves).
In 680 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.4%, Black 49.9% and 5.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. e3, in 47% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 8…Ne5
9. f4 scores best for White: 55.1%, with White winning 51.5% and Black 41.4% of 295 games. The most played answer, 9. e3, scores lowest: 41.1% in 321 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 9. f4.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation (A28)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-kings-english-variation-four-knights-variation-2