King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation

The Normal Variation of the King's Knight Opening is 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, Black's usual reply to 2.Nf3. The knight defends the e5-pawn and develops at the same time. From here White's third move decides which of the classical open games is played.

White's third move

• 3.Bb5, the Ruy Lopez or Spanish Game, is White's most frequent move at the top level. Black's most common answer is 3...a6, which forces White to choose between exchanging on c6 and retreating with 4.Ba4. Also common is 3...Nf6, the Berlin Defense, and the sharpest try is 3...f5, the Schliemann Defense.
• 3.Bc4, the Italian Game, is the second most popular move. It usually leads to the Giuoco Piano, 3...Bc5, or the Two Knights Defense, 3...Nf6. In the Giuoco Piano White can play c3 and d4, the classical approach; 4.b4, the Evans Gambit; or c3 and d3, the modern approach.
• 3.d4, the Scotch Game, was popular in the 19th century and is still the third most common move. After 3...exd4 White either recaptures with 4.Nxd4, with a roughly equal game, or plays the Scotch Gambit, 4.Bc4.
• 3.Nc3, the Three Knights Opening, is usually met by 3...Nf6, the Four Knights Game. It is generally considered less challenging for Black than the three moves above.
• 3.c3, the Ponziani Opening, has never been widely popular but is sometimes used as a surprise weapon.

Rare third moves

The Konstantinopolsky Opening, 3.g3, and the Inverted Hungarian, 3.Be2, are rarely played and give White no advantage.

The numbers

On Lichess White wins 50.7% of the 229 million games and Black 44.6%. The results barely change with rating: 50.8% against 45.1% under 1400 and 48.2% against 44.3% from 2200 up. In 249,218 master games over the board 50.7% were drawn, White won 28.9% and Black 20.4%.