Caissa Codex
C49

Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Metger Unpin

Chess diagram: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Metger Unpin after 8…Qe7

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Statistics from Lichess

13,636 games: White 45.4% / Draw 8.0% / Black 46.6%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
6,8046,804
2,2232,223
1,6991,699
1,1561,156
447447
302302
205205
182182

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

Engine evaluation

+0.09 The position is about equal

Best play: 9. d4 h6 10. Bh4 a6 11. Be2 Re8 12. Re1 Bd7 13. Qd3 exd4

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, Metger Unpin (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 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Qe7 (8 moves).

In 13,636 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.4%, Black 46.6% and 8.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Re1, in 50% of those games.

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

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

The most played answer, 9. Re1, also scores best for White: 51.7%, with White winning 48.1% and Black 44.7% of 6,804 games. Of the main answers, 9. h3 scores lowest: 46.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 9. d4.

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 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Qe7, 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, Metger Unpin (C49)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/four-knights-game-spanish-variation-symmetrical-variation-metger-unpin

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