Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
47,765 games: White 50.5% / Draw 4.8% / Black 44.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 33,59934K | ||
| 6,7036,703 | ||
| 2,4942,494 | ||
| 1,6321,632 | ||
| 1,0471,047 | ||
| 1,0081,008 | ||
| 442442 | ||
| 301301 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 10, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.45 White is slightly better
Best play: 5. Nxb4 Nxb4 6. d4 d6 7. Qd2 Nc6 8. dxe5 Nxe4 9. Qe3 d5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation (ECO C46, Open Games) is a variation of the Three Knights Opening, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Nd5 Nf6 (4 moves).
In 47,765 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.5%, Black 44.7% and 4.8% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nxb4, in 70% 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 Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation
5. c3 scores best for White: 56.1%, with White winning 54.0% and Black 41.8% of 6,703 games. The most played, 5. Nxb4, scores 52.5% in 34K games, and 5. Nxf6+ scores lowest: 47.7%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Nxb4.
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation (C46)”. Lichess data as of 10 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/three-knights-opening-schlechter-variation