Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
19,190 games: White 61.4% / Draw 4.5% / Black 34.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 9,9029,902 | ||
| 2,5862,586 | ||
| 2,4702,470 | ||
| 2,2692,269 | ||
| 1,0541,054 | ||
| 387387 | ||
| 226226 | ||
| 132132 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+4.81 White is clearly better
Best play: 6. Nxe5 c5 7. Nd3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Nb5 9. Nxc5 Nxc3 10. Qd4 b6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit (ECO C47, Open Games) is a gambit in the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. d5 Nd4 (5 moves).
In 19,190 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 61.4%, Black 34.1% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nxd4, in 52% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit
6. Nxe5 scores best for White: 72.5%, with White winning 71.0% and Black 25.9% of 2,586 games. The most played, 6. Nxd4, scores 67.2% in 9,902 games, and 6. Bd2 scores lowest: 52.6%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Nxe5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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: Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit (C47)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-scotch-variation-oxford-gambit