Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Janowski Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
4,389 games: White 47.8% / Draw 7.3% / Black 44.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,6141,614 | ||
| 686686 | ||
| 669669 | ||
| 530530 | ||
| 459459 | ||
| 340340 | ||
| 3535 | ||
| 1818 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
0.00 The position is about equal
Best play: 8... a6 9. Bxc6 bxc6 10. h3 Nd7 11. Nh2 Qf6 12. Rb1 Re8 13. Nf1
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Janowski Variation (ECO C49, Open Games) is a variation of the Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d6 8. Re1 (8 moves).
In 4,389 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 44.9% and 7.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 8…Ne7, in 37% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Janowski Variation
8…Bd7 scores best for Black: 57.0%, with Black winning 52.9% and White 39.0% of 459 games. The most played, 8…Ne7, scores 47.7% in 1,614 games, and 8…a6 scores lowest: 44.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 8…a6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Janowski Variation (C49)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-janowski-variation