Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation 6…d6 7. Ne2
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
7,519 games: White 52.2% / Draw 6.7% / Black 41.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 3,4383,438 | ||
| 1,6831,683 | ||
| 871871 | ||
| 741741 | ||
| 222222 | ||
| 191191 | ||
| 121121 | ||
| 9090 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.23 The position is about equal
Best play: 7... Ne7 8. c3 Ba5 9. Ng3 c6 10. Ba4 Ng6 11. d4 Re8 12. Bc2
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, Symmetrical Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Ne2 (7 moves).
In 7,519 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.2%, Black 41.1% and 6.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Ne7, in 46% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to answer 7. Ne2
The most played answer, 7…Ne7, also scores best for Black: 46.1%, with Black winning 42.2% and White 50.1% of 3,438 games. Of the main answers, 7…a6 scores lowest: 40.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…Ne7.
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, Symmetrical Variation (C49)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-symmetrical-variation-2