How to beat the Four Knights Game

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6: White develops a fourth knight instead of choosing the Italian or the Ruy Lopez. It looks harmless, but in our sample it was one of the harder 1.e4 e5 openings to face: the top titled players scored only 54% as Black against it in 105 games, well under their 62% average as Black.

Three plans that work

1. Meet 4.Bb5 with 4...Nd4 (the Rubinstein)

The Spanish Four Knights is White's main try. 4...Nd4 counterattacks at once instead of copying White, and after 5.Ba4 Bc5 or 5.Nxd4 exd4 Black gets active, easy play. In our sample the Rubinstein held up far better for titled players (58% in 18 games) than the other 4.Bb5 lines (30% in 10 games), though those samples are small.

2. Against 4.d4, take and pin with ...Bb4

The Scotch Four Knights: 4...exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 pins the c3 knight and hits e4. After 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 d5, Black's centre is fine and the open b-file helps. It was the titled players' best Four Knights line as Black in our data: 70% in 25 games.

3. Know the two tricks White players love

Against 4.Bc4, the fork trick 4...Nxe4! 5.Nxe4 d5 wins the piece back with a free centre. Against the Halloween Gambit 4.Nxe5?!, take the knight: 4...Nxe5 5.d4 Ng6 6.e5 Ng8 and Black is a piece up with a solid position, so just develop and don't panic.

A line to play

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Ba4 Bc5 6.Nxe5 O-O 7.Nd3 Bb6

The pitfall

Copying White move for move. Symmetrical set-ups with ...Bb4 let a well-prepared Four Knights player keep a small, risk-free edge. And in the Rubinstein, know the trap: after 4...Nd4, 5.Nxe5? Qe7! 6.f4 Nxb5 7.Nxb5 d6 wins material for Black.

What the data says

Facing the Four Knights Game as Black, the titled players scored 54% in 105 games (their average as Black: 62%). That's below their average, so it's a tough opening to beat even for them.

Most common variations, and how Black scored

Variation (Lichess name)	Games	Black's score
Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted	25	70%
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation	18	58%
Four Knights Game: Gunsberg Variation	12	46%
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation	10	30%
Four Knights Game	9	61%
Four Knights Game: Italian Variation	9	39%

Titled players who play it most: FM Tsoi_Dima (17 games, 65%), IM ZlatoustInterGaming (10 games, 50%).

Data: 13,865 recent rated games of 100 top titled Lichess players (mostly blitz and bullet), fetched from the public Lichess API on 2026-10-18. Scores are the titled player's (win = 1, draw = ½). Across all their games as Black they scored 62%, so compare against that, not 50%.

Prepare against the actual player

Averages only go so far. A Four Knights Game player has their own pet variations and weak spots. Before your next game, get a free fingerprint of your opponent, or get the full prep report ($5): every variation they play, where they score worst, and a game plan for both colours.

Related guides: How to beat the Italian Game (as Black) · How to beat the Scotch Game (as Black) · How to beat the Ruy Lopez (Spanish) (as Black) · How to beat the Vienna Game & Gambit (as Black)