Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
98 games: White 39.8% / Draw 4.1% / Black 56.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 4242 | ||
| 3030 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 44 | ||
| 44 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 8, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.80 Black is better
Best play: 9. O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Qh4 11. g3 Qh3 12. Re1 N8e7 13. Ba3 Qg4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer Variation (ECO C47, Open Games) is a gambit in the Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Ng6 6. e5 Ng8 7. Bc4 Bb4 8. Qf3 f5 (8 moves).
In 98 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 39.8%, Black 56.1% and 4.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Qxf5, in 43% of those games. That is too few games for the percentages to mean much.
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Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer Variation (C47)”. Lichess data as of 8 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-halloween-gambit-oldtimer-variation