Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
402,252 games: White 55.8% / Draw 5.1% / Black 39.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 324,706325K | ||
| 77,15077K | ||
| 170170 | ||
| 8989 | ||
| 3737 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 2828 | ||
| 1414 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.33 White is slightly better
Best play: 5... dxc6 6. Nxe5 Nxe4 7. Nxe4 Qd4 8. O-O Qxe5 9. d4 Qf5 10. Ng3
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 better this line does for White: White scores 56% under 1400, 59% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.3M | |
| 1400–1799 | 746K | |
| 1800–2199 | 142K | |
| 2200 and up | 12K | |
| Masters, over the board | 38 |
Master games
- Motylev, A. – Kharlov, A.
- Movsesian, S. – Kharlov, A.
- Delchev, A. – Radulski, J.
- Yudasin, L. – Sagalchik, G.
- Grigoriants, S. – Kharlov, A.
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: Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation (ECO C48, 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 a6 5. Bxc6 (5 moves).
In 402,252 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.8%, Black 39.1% and 5.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…dxc6, in 81% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Spielmann Variation.
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, Ranken Variation
The most played answer, 5…dxc6, also scores best for Black: 42.9%, with Black winning 40.4% and White 54.5% of 325K games. Of the main answers, 5…bxc6 scores lowest: 36.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…dxc6.
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: Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.013% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.018% (its peak: 0.02% in 2021).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.018% | 6,384 |
| 2017 | 0.014% | 7,506 |
| 2018 | 0.013% | 9,865 |
| 2019 | 0.013% | 16,389 |
| 2020 | 0.018% | 52,756 |
| 2021 | 0.02% | 77,236 |
| 2022 | 0.017% | 62,219 |
| 2023 | 0.015% | 57,939 |
| 2024 | 0.014% | 48,670 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 44,124 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.013% | 13,834 |
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 (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation (C48)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-ranken-variation