Caissa Codex
C49

Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation 7. Bg5 Ne7

Chess diagram: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation after 7…Ne7

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

3,724 games: White 44.4% / Draw 6.4% / Black 49.2%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
2,4032,403
688688
254254
102102
7979
7373
4343
2525

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.05 The position is about equal

Best play: 8. Bxf6 gxf6 9. d4 Kh8 10. Bd3 Rg8 11. Ne2 Ba5 12. Kh1 Qf8

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. Bg5 Ne7 (7 moves).

In 3,724 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.4%, Black 49.2% and 6.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. Bxf6, in 65% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Blake Variation.

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How to answer 7…Ne7

8. Nh4 scores best for White: 59.2%, with White winning 54.5% and Black 36.0% of 688 games. The most played, 8. Bxf6, scores 45.7% in 2,403 games, and 8. Ne2 scores lowest: 42.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. Bxf6.

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 (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 7. Bg5 Ne7, the position after Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation also goes on to:

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-3

https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-symmetrical-variation-3