Four Knights Game: Glek System 6…Nxc3 7. bxc3
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Statistics from Lichess
27,957 games: White 47.8% / Draw 8.0% / Black 44.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 10,20710K | ||
| 9,3759,375 | ||
| 3,3563,356 | ||
| 1,8231,823 | ||
| 1,6541,654 | ||
| 649649 | ||
| 235235 | ||
| 164164 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.02 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... Bc5 8. O-O O-O 9. d3 Bb6 10. a4 Re8 11. Re1 f6 12. Nd2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Four Knights Game: Glek System (ECO C47, Open Games) is a variation of the Four Knights Game: Glek System, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. g3 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nxc3 7. bxc3 (7 moves).
In 27,957 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 44.2% and 8.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Bd6, in 37% 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 7. bxc3
7…Bc5 scores best for Black: 50.8%, with Black winning 46.4% and White 44.8% of 9,375 games. The most played, 7…Bd6, scores 48.6% in 10K games, and 7…e4 scores lowest: 42.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Glek System (C47)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-glek-system-2