Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6
The Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Nimzowitsch Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C49, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6. 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 67 times by this move order. White won 52%, 8% were drawn and Black won 40%. The most popular continuation is 6… dxc6 (54% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 6… dxc6 7. Nxe5 Re8 8. Nd3 Bxc3 9. dxc3)
- ECO
- C49
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pppp1ppp/2B2n2/4p3/1b2P3/2N2N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQ1RK1 b - - 0 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. Bxc6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 20 | |
| 1500-1999 | 5 | |
| 2000+ | 42 | |
| All | 67 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… dxc6 | 36 (54%) | |
| 6… bxc6 | 21 (31%) | |
| 6… Bxc3 | 9 (13%) |
Master games
455 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 37%, draw 37%, Black 26%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2807) 1/2-1/2 · Esports World Cup 2025 · 2025-07-31
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2837) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2804) 1/2-1/2 · 13th Norway Chess 2025 · 2025-06-02
- GM Yangyi Yu (2764) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2817) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid 2018 · 2018-12-27
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2830) – GM Praggnanandhaa R (2740) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid 2023 · 2023-12-28
- GM Levon Aronian (2765) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2759) 1/2-1/2 · Superbet Classic 2022 · 2022-05-14
Highest-rated Lichess games
- D40R3T5KY (2729) – kuhmft (2856) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- KM2200 (2541) – AlwaysLookingForMore (2637) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- KM2200 (2541) – AlwaysLookingForMore (2608) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish (4. Bb5 Bb4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4
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 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.