Caissa Codex
C49

Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation

Chess diagram: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation after 6…d6

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

81,125 games: White 51.3% / Draw 6.5% / Black 42.2%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
45,95646K
11,85112K
7,4987,498
5,4895,489
4,3024,302
2,4672,467
2,3842,384
353353

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

Engine evaluation

+0.16 The position is about equal

Best play: 7. Ne2 Ne7 8. c3 Ba5 9. Ng3 c6 10. Ba4 Ng6 11. d4 Re8

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

Overview

Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical 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 d6 (6 moves).

In 81,125 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.3%, Black 42.2% and 6.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. Bg5, in 57% of those games.

It branches into 3 named variations; the most played is Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Metger Unpin. In all, 5 named lines continue from it.

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

The most played answer, 7. Bg5, also scores best for White: 57.5%, with White winning 54.2% and Black 39.2% of 46K games. Of the main answers, 7. a3 scores lowest: 46.0%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. Ne2.

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

Variations (3)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 6…d6, the position after Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish also goes on to:

All 5 named lines that continue from here

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation (C49)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-symmetrical-variation

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