Three Knights Opening: Steinitz-Rosenthal Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
3,327 games: White 56.4% / Draw 6.3% / Black 37.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,8832,883 | ||
| 247247 | ||
| 8181 | ||
| 4545 | ||
| 2626 | ||
| 1515 | ||
| 1111 | ||
| 77 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.01 The position is about equal
Best play: 5... Bg7 6. Bg5 Nce7 7. Bc4 h6 8. Bh4 g5 9. Bg3 Nxd5 10. Bxd5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Three Knights Opening: Steinitz-Rosenthal Variation (ECO C46, Open Games) is a variation of the Three Knights Opening: Steinitz Defense, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5 (5 moves).
In 3,327 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.4%, Black 37.2% and 6.3% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…Bg7, in 87% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Three Knights Opening: Steinitz-Rosenthal Variation
The most played answer, 5…Bg7, also scores best for Black: 41.6%, with Black winning 38.3% and White 55.2% of 2,883 games. Of the main answers, 5…h6 scores lowest: 36.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…Bg7.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Three Knights Opening: Steinitz-Rosenthal Variation (C46)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/three-knights-opening-steinitz-rosenthal-variation