Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. d5 Nd4
The Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C47, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. d5 Nd4. It is a line of the Four Knights Game. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 66 times by this move order. White won 64%, 4% were drawn and Black won 32%. The most popular continuation is 6. Nxd4 (56% of games).
Engine evaluation: +2.43 (Stockfish, depth 36; best line 6. Nxe5 c5 7. Nd3 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Nb5)
- ECO
- C47
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1bqk2r/pppp1ppp/5n2/3Pp3/1b1nP3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. d5 Nd4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 41 | |
| 1500-1999 | 25 | |
| All | 66 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Nxd4 | 37 (56%) | |
| 6. Bd2 | 8 (12%) | |
| 6. Nxe5 | 8 (12%) | |
| 6. a3 | 5 (8%) | |
| 6. Bd3 | 4 (6%) | |
| 6. Qd3 | 3 (5%) | |
| 6. Be2 | 1 (2%) |
Highest-rated Lichess games
- krilag (2026) – Shomi (1875) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- PCFTav (1942) – Rekisha (1930) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- ClaudioEbbastaIsReal (1822) – user888zzz (1838) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 600 + 5s
Comes from
Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4
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 Accepted 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.