King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky
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Statistics from Lichess
663,558 games: White 46.0% / Draw 4.6% / Black 49.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 275,863276K | ||
| 215,462215K | ||
| 77,37177K | ||
| 29,09029K | ||
| 18,19518K | ||
| 8,9868,986 | ||
| 8,6778,677 | ||
| 6,2256,225 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.04 The position is about equal
Best play: 3... Nf6 4. d3 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Bd6 7. a3 a5 8. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: White scores 49% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 58% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 1.2M | |
| 1400–1799 | 953K | |
| 1800–2199 | 255K | |
| 2200 and up | 22K | |
| Masters, over the board | 332 |
Master games
- Topalov, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Aronian, L.
- Duda, J. – Carlsen, M.
- Topalov, V. – Aronian, L.
- Nepomniachtchi, I. – Aronian, L.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky (ECO C44, Open Games) is a variation of the King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. g3 (3 moves).
In 663,558 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.0%, Black 49.4% and 4.6% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 3…Nf6, in 42% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky
3…Bc5 scores best for Black: 52.4%, with Black winning 50.2% and White 45.4% of 215K games. The most played, 3…Nf6, scores 52.1% in 276K games, and 3…d6 scores lowest: 48.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 3…Nf6.
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
Popularity by year
The King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky has lost ground since 2016: 0.021% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.029% (its peak: 0.033% in 2020).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.029% | 10,186 |
| 2017 | 0.023% | 12,699 |
| 2018 | 0.024% | 19,057 |
| 2019 | 0.028% | 34,593 |
| 2020 | 0.033% | 96,595 |
| 2021 | 0.03% | 117,214 |
| 2022 | 0.029% | 107,374 |
| 2023 | 0.023% | 87,587 |
| 2024 | 0.021% | 74,494 |
| 2025 | 0.021% | 72,859 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.02% | 21,528 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky (C44)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/kings-knight-opening-konstantinopolsky