Caissa Codex
C48

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

Chess diagram: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Variation 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

6,223 games: White 41.2% / Draw 4.6% / Black 54.1%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
1,9301,930
1,7191,719
880880
664664
334334
315315
159159
6969

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.61 White is slightly better

Best play: 7. Bc4 d6 8. Nf3 Bg4 9. Be2 Nxe2+ 10. Qxe2 Re8 11. h3 Bh5

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

In 6,223 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 41.2%, Black 54.1% and 4.6% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. d3, in 31% of those games.

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

7. Be2 scores best for White: 51.9%, with White winning 48.2% and Black 44.3% of 334 games. The most played answer, 7. d3, scores lowest: 37.1% in 1,930 games. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Bc4.

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. Nxe5 Bc5 6. O-O 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 Variation (C48)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-rubinstein-variation-marshall-variation

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