Four Knights Game: Glek System
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Statistics from Lichess
274,506 games: White 47.7% / Draw 5.7% / Black 46.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 114,044114K | ||
| 57,73958K | ||
| 48,40048K | ||
| 21,09721K | ||
| 14,17414K | ||
| 6,1376,137 | ||
| 3,2623,262 | ||
| 3,0973,097 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.11 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Bc5 5. Bg2 d6 6. O-O O-O 7. d3 a5 8. h3 a4 9. Bd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for White: White scores 49% under 1400, 54% at 2200 and up and 56% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 472K | |
| 1400–1799 | 270K | |
| 1800–2199 | 121K | |
| 2200 and up | 56K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,911 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – Kramnik, V.
- Rapport, R. – Duda, J.
- Ponomariov, R. – Ding Liren
- Vallejo Pons, F. – Topalov, V.
- Ponomariov, R. – Tomashevsky, E.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Four Knights Game: Glek System (ECO C47, Open Games) is a variation of the Four Knights Game, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 (4 moves).
In 274,506 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.7%, Black 46.6% and 5.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Bc5, in 42% of those games.
It continues into one named variation.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Four Knights Game: Glek System
4…d5 scores best for Black: 52.3%, with Black winning 49.1% and White 44.4% of 48K games. The most played, 4…Bc5, scores 49.6% in 114K games, and 4…Be7 scores lowest: 46.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Bc5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Four Knights Game: Glek System dipped to 0.0087% of Lichess games in 2022 and has recovered since: 0.013% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.011% | 3,918 |
| 2017 | 0.01% | 5,753 |
| 2018 | 0.01% | 7,889 |
| 2019 | 0.01% | 12,648 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 31,412 |
| 2021 | 0.0094% | 36,829 |
| 2022 | 0.0087% | 32,588 |
| 2023 | 0.0096% | 36,143 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 42,643 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 44,806 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.013% | 14,629 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Glek System (C47)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-glek-system