Caissa Codex
C48

Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit

Chess diagram: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit after 6…O-O

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

3,534 games: White 49.4% / Draw 4.3% / Black 46.3%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
2,0792,079
900900
374374
138138
99
99
77
77

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.05 The position is about equal

Best play: 7. Nd3 Bb6 8. e5 c6 9. O-O Ne8 10. Ne2 Qh4 11. b4 d6

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit (ECO C48, Open Games) is a gambit in the Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Ba4 Bc5 6. Nxe5 O-O (6 moves).

In 3,534 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 49.4%, Black 46.3% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Nd3, in 59% of those games.

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How to play against the Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit

The most played answer, 7. Nd3, also scores best for White: 56.7%, with White winning 54.4% and Black 40.9% of 2,079 games. Of the main answers, 7. O-O scores lowest: 42.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Nd3.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5. Ba4 Bc5 6. Nxe5 O-O, the position after Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit (C48)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-rubinstein-variation-marshall-gambit

https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-rubinstein-variation-marshall-gambit