Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation 6. d3 Bxc3
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Statistics from Lichess
25,358 games: White 47.1% / Draw 8.1% / Black 44.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 25,19325K | ||
| 140140 | ||
| 1111 | ||
| 88 | ||
| 33 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 11 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.08 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. bxc3 d6 8. Bg5 Ne7 9. Bxf6 gxf6 10. Nh4 Ng6 11. Nf5 d5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation (ECO C49, Open Games) is a variation of the Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 (6 moves).
In 25,358 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.1%, Black 44.9% and 8.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. bxc3, in 99% of those games.
It branches into 2 named variations; the most played are Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Janowski Variation and Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Svenonius Variation.
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Variations (2)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation (C49)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-2