Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Svenonius Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d5
The Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Svenonius 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. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d5. 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 2 times by this move order. White won 0%, 0% were drawn and Black won 100%. The most popular continuation is 8. exd5 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.28 (Stockfish, depth 41; best line 8. Bxc6 bxc6 9. exd5 Qxd5 10. c4 Qd6)
- ECO
- C49
- Moves
- 14 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/ppp2ppp/2n2n2/1B1pp3/4P3/2PP1N2/P1P2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 8- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3 7. bxc3 d5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1 | |
| All | 2 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 8. exd5 | 2 (100%) |
Master games
1 over-the-board game is classified under this line (White 0%, draw 0%, Black 100%). The strongest:
- WFM Amina Kairbekova (2132) – WGM Evgeniya Doluhanova (2207) 0-1 · Women's Speed Chess Q4 · 2021-06-03
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Peter2424 (2064) – knowledgechess16 (1747) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 600 + 3s
- iikerr (1100) – Guljahon_Sharipova (1094) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation (6. d3 Bxc3) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 Bxc3
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.