Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Metger Unpin
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Qe7
The Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Metger Unpin 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 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Qe7. It is a line of the Four Knights Game. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 10 times by this move order. White won 50%, 0% were drawn and Black won 50%. The most popular continuation is 9. Re1 (80% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 38; best line 9. Bh4 h6 10. d4 a6 11. Bd3 Bg4)
- ECO
- C49
- Moves
- 16 plies
- FEN
r1b2rk1/ppp1qppp/2np1n2/1B2p1B1/4P3/2PP1N2/P1P2PPP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 1 9- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Qe7
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 10 | |
| All | 10 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9. Re1 | 8 (80%) | |
| 9. Bc4 | 1 (10%) | |
| 9. h3 | 1 (10%) |
Master games
171 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 51%, draw 23%, Black 26%). The strongest:
- GM Yi Wei (2736) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2682) 1-0 · chess.com Junior Speed · 2019-07-28
- GM Ivan Ivanisevic (2655) – IM Aleksey Goganov (2552) 1-0 · 14th Euro Indiv 2013 · 2013-05-06
- GM Marin Bosiocic (2571) – GM David Baramidze (2615) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-AUT 2012-13 · 2013-03-23
- GM Sundar M. Shyam (2526) – GM Axel Bachmann (2649) 0-1 · 49th Biel Master Open · 2016-08-02
- GM Vladislav Artemiev (2659) – GM Boris Kharchenko (2483) 1-0 · Moscow Open A 2015 · 2015-02-08
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Juplt3rLlk3 (2708) – T-Stevenson (2650) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- SolaceOfNight (2520) – FM sergeikim2003 (2527) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- saltwatercrcodile (2491) – FM sergeikim2003 (2513) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation (6. d3 d6) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6
Continuations
- Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation (10. d4 Bg4) C49 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 Qe7 9. Re1 Nd8 10. d4 Bg4
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.