Four Knights Game: Naroditsky Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nd5
The Four Knights Game: Naroditsky Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C47, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nd5. It is a line of the Four Knights Game. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 504 times by this move order. White won 46%, 6% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 4… Nxd5 (33% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 4… d6 5. d4 Nxe4 6. Bb5 a6 7. Ba4)
- ECO
- C47
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/3Np3/4P3/5N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 5 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nd5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 406 | |
| 1500-1999 | 41 | |
| 2000+ | 57 | |
| All | 504 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… Nxd5 | 164 (33%) | |
| 4… Nxe4 | 129 (26%) | |
| 4… Bc5 | 94 (19%) | |
| 4… d6 | 48 (10%) | |
| 4… Be7 | 27 (5%) | |
| 4… Bd6 | 10 (2%) | |
| 4… Bb4 | 7 (1%) | |
| 4… Nd4 | 6 (1%) |
Master games
476 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 26%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- Stoofvlees II d9 (3541) – Reckless 0.10.0-dev-9057bc13 (3749) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 29 Gambit Bonus 2026 · 2026-05-30
- Reckless 0.10.0-dev-9057bc13 (3749) – Stoofvlees II d9 (3541) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 29 Gambit Bonus 2026 · 2026-05-30
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2816) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) 1/2-1/2 · Clutch Chess: Champions · 2025-10-29
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2816) – GM Gukesh D (2752) 1/2-1/2 · Clutch Chess: Champions · 2025-10-28
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2816) – GM Parham Maghsoodloo (2697) 1-0 · Titled Tue 21st Oct 2025 · 2025-10-21
Search all games of the Four Knights Game: Naroditsky Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- IM filolog (2711) – GM tjychess (2846) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- IM filolog (2711) – Chess1Love0 (2774) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- IM filolog (2723) – FM Alexboy14 (2747) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Four Knights Game 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6
More Four Knights Game lines (all)
- Four Knights Game: Glek System (3… Nf6 4. g3) C47
- Four Knights Game: Glek System (6… Nxc3 7. bxc3) C47
- Four Knights Game: Gunsberg Variation C47
- Four Knights Game: Gunsberg Variation, Provincial Opening C47
- Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit C47
- Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer Variation C47
- Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Plasma Variation C47
- Four Knights Game: Italian Variation (3… Nf6 4. Nc3) C47
- Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, Noa Gambit C47
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation C47
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted C47
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted, Main Line C47
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.