Three Knights Opening: Steinitz Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
165,729 games: White 48.8% / Draw 5.2% / Black 45.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 61,59262K | ||
| 47,54548K | ||
| 31,41631K | ||
| 9,2559,255 | ||
| 3,3383,338 | ||
| 3,1523,152 | ||
| 2,4912,491 | ||
| 2,2702,270 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 24, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.90 White is better
Best play: 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bg7 6. Be3 Nf6 7. Qd2 O-O 8. O-O-O d5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Three Knights Opening: Steinitz Defense (ECO C46, Open Games) is a variation of the Three Knights Opening, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 (3 moves).
In 165,729 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.8%, Black 45.9% and 5.2% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. d4, in 37% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Three Knights Opening: Steinitz-Rosenthal Variation.
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: Steinitz Defense
The most played answer, 4. d4, also scores best for White: 55.1%, with White winning 52.2% and Black 42.1% of 62K games. Of the main answers, 4. d3 scores lowest: 46.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. 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)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Three Knights Opening: Steinitz Defense (C46)”. Lichess data as of 24 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/three-knights-opening-steinitz-defense