English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line 5. Qc2 Bxc3
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Statistics from Lichess
25,376 games: White 47.1% / Draw 8.1% / Black 44.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 18,60019K | ||
| 6,5666,566 | ||
| 201201 | ||
| 44 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. Qxc3 Qe7 7. Be2 O-O 8. O-O d5 9. d3 Rd8 10. b3 a5
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, Quiet Line (ECO A28, Flank Openings) is a variation of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line, reached after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. e3 Bb4 5. Qc2 Bxc3 (5 moves).
In 25,376 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.1%, Black 44.9% and 8.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Qxc3, in 73% 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 5…Bxc3
The most played answer, 6. Qxc3, also scores best for White: 51.9%, with White winning 47.6% and Black 43.9% of 19K games. Of the main answers, 6. bxc3 scores lowest: 49.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Qxc3.
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, Quiet Line (A28)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/english-opening-kings-english-variation-four-knights-variation-quiet-line-2