Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4
The Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted is a chess opening classified as ECO C47, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4. It is a line of the Four Knights Game. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 12,524 times by this move order. White won 50%, 6% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 5. Nxd4 (94% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.09 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5)
- ECO
- C47
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/8/3pP3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 6,526 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4,611 | |
| 2000+ | 1,387 | |
| All | 12,524 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Nxd4 | 11,835 (94%) | |
| 5. Nd5 Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit | 539 (4%) | |
| 5. e5 | 40 (0%) | |
| 5. Nb5 | 37 (0%) | |
| 5. Ne2 | 16 (0%) | |
| 5. Bc4 | 11 (0%) | |
| 5. Qxd4 | 11 (0%) | |
| 5. Bg5 | 6 (0%) |
Master games
6,354 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 31%, draw 40%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- GM Hikaru Nakamura (2789) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2872) 0-1 · Zurich CC Blitz 2014 · 2014-01-29
- GM So, W. (2773) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) 1/2-1/2 · SuperUnited Blitz 2022 · 2022-07-24
- GM So, W. (2765) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2872) 1/2-1/2 · 82nd Tata Steel GpA · 2020-01-26
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) – GM Levon Aronian (2782) 0-1 · San Fermin Masters Final · 2021-07-11
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) – GM Levon Aronian (2781) 1/2-1/2 · Magnus Carlsen Inv KO · 2021-03-17
Search all games of the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- winx_m (2933) – vistagusta (2819) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- GM Chewbacca18 (2791) – winx_m (2949) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- GM Chewbacca18 (2796) – winx_m (2945) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4
Continuations
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit C47 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nd5
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Schmid Defense C47 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nxe4
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted, Main Line C47 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5 8. exd5 O-O 9. O-O
More Four Knights Game lines (all)
- Four Knights Game C47
- 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: Naroditsky Variation C47
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit, Modern Defense 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.