Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4
The Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C47, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4. It is a line of the Four Knights Game. Black is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 17,226 times by this move order. White won 51%, 5% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 4… exd4 (73% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.06 (Stockfish, depth 65; best line 4… exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3)
- ECO
- C47
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/4p3/3PP3/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 9,921 | |
| 1500-1999 | 5,752 | |
| 2000+ | 1,553 | |
| All | 17,226 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… exd4 Scotch Variation Accepted | 12,524 (73%) | |
| 4… d6 | 1,588 (9%) | |
| 4… Bb4 | 1,481 (9%) | |
| 4… d5 | 539 (3%) | |
| 4… Bd6 | 406 (2%) | |
| 4… Nxd4 | 343 (2%) | |
| 4… Bc5 | 104 (1%) | |
| 4… Qe7 | 71 (0%) |
Master games
313 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 23%, Black 39%). The strongest:
- GM Dmitry Andreikin (2713) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2753) 0-1 · FIDE World Blitz 2013 · 2013-06-09
- GM Alireza Firouzja (2728) – GM Vladislav Kovalev (2648) 1-0 · Titled Tues 9th Jun Final · 2020-06-09
- GM Volodar Murzin (2561) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2740) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid 2022 · 2022-12-27
- GM Robert Hovhannisyan (2624) – GM Tigran L. Petrosian (2625) 1-0 · 76th ch-ARM HL 2016 · 2016-01-12
- IM Juraj Druska (2511) – GM Grigoriy Oparin (2683) 1/2-1/2 · US Chess Masters 2022 · 2022-11-25
Search all games of the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation 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 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6
Continuations
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted C47 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 exd4
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Krause Gambit C47 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. Nxe5
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Oxford Gambit C47 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4 Bb4 5. d5 Nd4
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: Naroditsky Variation C47
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted, Main Line C47
- Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit 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.