Four Knights Game: Italian Variation
The Italian Variation of the Four Knights Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3) defends the e4-pawn with the knight after 3...Nf6. Read the guide
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
11,524,675 games: White 46.6% / Draw 4.7% / Black 48.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Four Knights Game: Italian Variation | 4,745,6874.7M | |
| 2,459,8232.5M | ||
| 1,333,6481.3M | ||
| 1,122,0071.1M | ||
| 824,910825K | ||
| 690,639691K | ||
| 92,78693K | ||
| 78,79379K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 4, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 4... Nxe4 5. Nxe4 d5 6. Bd3 dxe4 7. Bxe4 Bd6 8. O-O O-O 9. Re1
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 worse this line does for White: White scores 52% under 1400, 45% at 2200 and up and 42% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 19.5M | |
| 1400–1799 | 14.9M | |
| 1800–2199 | 5M | |
| 2200 and up | 245K | |
| Masters, over the board | 378 |
Master games
- So, W. – Mamedyarov, S.
- Mamedyarov, S. – So, W.
- Aravindh, C. V. – Praggnanandhaa, R.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Karjakin, S.
- Matlakov, M. – Nepomniachtchi, I.
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 26, 2026
Description
The Italian Variation of the Four Knights Game (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.Nc3) defends the e4-pawn with the knight after 3...Nf6. The same position arises from the Four Knights with 4.Bc4, which was popular in the 1880s.
The idea
The trouble with 4.Nc3 is the fork trick: Black can take on e4 anyway with 4...Nxe4!, and after 5.Nxe4 d5 regains the piece. Pinski regards the line as inferior for White, and International Master Larry Evans calls it an outright mistake. Even so, Nigel Short used it successfully against Antoaneta Stefanova in 2003.
Main lines
- 4...Nxe4 5.Nxe4 d5, the main line. It continues 6.Bd3 dxe4 7.Bxe4 Bd6; 6...Nb4 is also playable. 6.Bxd5? and 6.Bb5?! are weak.
- 4...Nxe4 5.Bxf7+, the Noa Gambit, superficially attractive but it gives Black the bishop pair and the centre: after 5...Kxf7 6.Nxe4 d5 White's attack peters out.
- 4...Nxe4 5.O-O, closely related to the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit, from which it can be reached and to which it can transpose.
- 4...Bc5, avoiding the complications and keeping the symmetry; it transposes to the quiet Giuoco Pianissimo. A better move order for White to reach that position is 3...Bc5 4.Nc3 Nf6.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Natural development.
- The Boden–Kieseritzky ideas can give White good practical chances, especially in blitz.
Weaknesses
- The fork trick 4...Nxe4! wins back the piece and frees Black's game.
- Regarded by theory as inferior for White.
Who should play it
Because theory regards 4.Nc3 as inferior, it is mainly a route for White into the Boden–Kieseritzky Gambit. Black players should know the fork trick.
The numbers
On Lichess Black's results improve sharply with rating: White leads 49.8% against 45.8% under 1400 and 48.2% against 47.6% at 1400–1799, but Black is clearly ahead from 1800 up, 49.5% against 45.4% at 1800–2199 and 51.8% against 41.4% from 2200 up. There are only a few hundred master games, too few to draw firm conclusions.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Four Knights Game: Italian Variation
4…Nxe4 scores best for Black: 59.4%, with Black winning 57.1% and White 38.3% of 2.5M games. The most played, 4…Bc5, scores 49.9% in 4.7M games, and 4…d6 scores lowest: 45.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4…Nxe4.
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: Italian Variation peaked in 2021 at 0.51% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.41% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.45% | 160,753 |
| 2017 | 0.4% | 222,761 |
| 2018 | 0.39% | 303,537 |
| 2019 | 0.4% | 503,454 |
| 2020 | 0.48% | 1,405,447 |
| 2021 | 0.51% | 2,003,091 |
| 2022 | 0.46% | 1,735,419 |
| 2023 | 0.44% | 1,662,461 |
| 2024 | 0.42% | 1,513,179 |
| 2025 | 0.41% | 1,407,461 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.4% | 436,728 |
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 (2)
Transpositions
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Four Knights Game, version of 26 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Italian Variation (C47)”. Lichess data as of 4 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-italian-variation