Four Knights Game

The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves:

1. e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. Nc3 Nf6

This is the most common sequence, but the knights may develop in any order to reach the same position, but it is also frequently reached by transposition after other moves have been played, such as from the Scotch Game (3.d4) after 3...exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3. The most common continuations are 4.Bb5, the Spanish Variation, and 4.d4, the Scotch Variation.

The Four Knights often leads to quiet positional play and has a drawish reputation, though there are also sharp variations. The opening is fairly popular with beginners who strictly adhere to the opening principle: "Develop knights before bishops." One of its practical advantages is that it can be played to avoid the theoretical lines of Petrov's Defence: after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3, Black's best move is 3...Nc6.

The Four Knights was a popular choice in the family of the Open Game in the 19th century. By the time of World War I, it had fallen in popularity. Ambitious players explored alternatives like the Ruy Lopez, which was believed to be a better attempt by White to exploit the advantage of the first move. In the 1990s, the opening saw a renaissance and is again frequently seen in the opening repertoire of players, even among grandmasters.