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Four Knights Game: four knights out first, a calm and steady start

Both sides bring out all four knights first. It's symmetrical and solid, and the perfect way to build the habit of developing first.

Also called：Four Knights Opening、Spanish Four Knights、Scotch Four Knights

The Four Knights Game is 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6. Both sides bring out both knights first, and the four knights stand face to face. The whole idea is "develop first." The position is solid and hard to lose quickly, which makes it a comfortable choice when you play chess against the computer.

Moves and position

Four moves, four knights:

  1. 1. e4 e5 the two pawns meet head to head in the center.
  2. 2. Nf3 Nc6 White's knight attacks e5 and Black's knight defends it.
  3. 3. Nc3 White's second knight comes out and defends e4.
  4. 3... Nf6 Black brings out the second knight too, and the position is symmetrical.

Why knights first? Knights are slow. They only jump one L-shape at a time, so getting them out early wastes less time. And the four squares c3, f3, c6 and f6 all look right at the center.

What White wants

  • Bishops next: 4. Bb5 or 4. Bc4, then castle.
  • Open the center with d4: 4. d4 turns into something like the Scotch Game, with a more open position.
  • Take it slow: the Four Knights isn't about winning fast. White relies on the small edge of moving first.

What Black wants

  • Keep developing: if White brings out a bishop, Black does too; if White castles, Black castles too. It's hard to go badly wrong in a symmetrical position.
  • Look for a counterpunch: a move like 4... Nd4 in the Rubinstein Variation refuses to copy White and grabs the center.
  • Watch the e4 pawn: if White develops the bishop carelessly, Black's knight can sometimes take on e4.

Main lines

Spanish Four Knights: 4. Bb5

Both bishops pressure the other side's knight, both sides castle, and the position is almost perfectly symmetrical.

White's bishop jumps to b5 and leans on the knight on c6, just like in the Ruy Lopez. Black copies, and both sides are very solid. This is the traditional way to play the Four Knights.

Rubinstein Variation: 4. Bb5 Nd4

The black knight jumps to d4. It doesn't worry about the e5 pawn and grabs the center.

Black breaks the symmetry and jumps the knight to d4, bumping into White's knight on f3. It looks like Black is giving away the e5 pawn, but if White takes it, Black has ways to hit back. Lots of strong players like this as Black.

Scotch Four Knights: 4. d4

White opens the center. The position gets more open, and both sides need to develop quickly.

White opens the center with d4, and the game looks a lot like the Scotch. Black pins the knight on c3 with the bishop, then pushes d5 to fight for the center.

A common trap: the fork trick

If White plays 4. Bc4 on move four, putting the bishop on c4 looks natural. But Black has a neat trick: take the e4 pawn first.

Black's knight takes e4, and White's knight takes it back. Has Black just lost a knight?

Not so fast. Black's next move is d5:

The black pawn attacks the bishop on c4 and the knight on e4 at the same time. White can't save both.

One pawn attacks two pieces at once, so whatever White does, a piece goes back. Count it up: material is even, and Black has a comfortable center too. This is called the fork trick, because the pawn works like a fork and spears two pieces at once.

Black to move. Black's knight was just captured. Which move wins the piece back?
Show answer

5... d5 Push the pawn to d5. It attacks the bishop on c4 and the knight on e4 at the same time. White can't save both, so a piece has to go back, and material is even.

That's why in the Four Knights, White usually plays 4. Bb5 or 4. d4. Remember this: when your opponent takes your pawn and lets you take back a piece, check whether their next move is a fork.

Who it suits

  • Beginners who just learned the moves: knights first, then bishops, castle early. The Four Knights is the textbook example of all three.
  • Players who don't like big risks: the position is symmetrical, so it's hard to lose right out of the opening.
  • Black players who want a solid game: White plays 3. Nc3, Black answers 3... Nf6. Simple and safe.

It's a lot like the Scotch Game, since both can push d4 on move four. The difference is that in the Four Knights both sides get their knights out first, so it's slower and steadier.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't the Four Knights boring?

Symmetrical positions look quiet, but as soon as one side breaks the symmetry, like 4... Nd4 in the Rubinstein Variation, tactics pop up everywhere. For a beginner practicing "develop first," it couldn't be better.

Why is 4. Bc4 not recommended for White?

Because Black has the fork trick: take on e4 with the knight, wait for White's knight to take back, then push d5 to attack the white bishop and knight at the same time. Black wins the piece back, material is even, White's bishop has wasted a trip, and Black ends up more comfortable in the center.

What's the difference between the Four Knights and the Three Knights?

In the Three Knights, Black doesn't play the knight to f6 on move three and does something else instead (like developing a bishop), so only three knights come out early. In the Four Knights, both sides bring out both knights.

Try it yourself

Use the button below to start a game against the computer from the Four Knights position, and try the steady 4. Bb5 first. To see other openings, go back to the openings guide. For more practice with pawn forks, read about the fork. You can always go back to the free chess game home page.

Play this opening against the computer

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