Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, Noa Gambit
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Statistics from Lichess
904,681 games: White 41.1% / Draw 4.3% / Black 54.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 903,159903K | ||
| 1,5221,522 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
−2.37 Black is clearly better
Best play: 5... Kxf7 6. Nxe4 d5 7. Ng3 e4 8. Ng1 h5 9. d4 exd3 10. Qxd3
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 54% under 1400, 38% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 48K | |
| 1400–1799 | 396K | |
| 1800–2199 | 588K | |
| 2200 and up | 46K | |
| Masters, over the board | 28 |
Master games
- Mamedyarov, S. – So, W.
- Novikov, M. – Afromeev, V.
- Sevillano, E. – Handoko, E.
- Savitha, S. B. – Peng, L. M.
- Zhavoronkov, E. – Afromeev, V.
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: Italian Variation, Noa Gambit (ECO C47, Open Games) is a gambit in the Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nxe4 5. Bxf7+ (5 moves).
In 904,681 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.1%, Black 54.6% and 4.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Kxf7, in 100% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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Popularity by year
The Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, Noa Gambit has gained ground since 2016: 0.04% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.025%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.025% | 8,753 |
| 2017 | 0.029% | 16,011 |
| 2018 | 0.03% | 23,225 |
| 2019 | 0.031% | 39,251 |
| 2020 | 0.032% | 92,252 |
| 2021 | 0.032% | 126,093 |
| 2022 | 0.033% | 123,464 |
| 2023 | 0.036% | 135,696 |
| 2024 | 0.039% | 140,054 |
| 2025 | 0.04% | 139,471 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.041% | 44,655 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, Noa Gambit (C47)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-italian-variation-noa-gambit