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
The Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical 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 d6. It is a line of the Four Knights Game. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 106 times by this move order. White won 53%, 4% were drawn and Black won 43%. The most popular continuation is 7. Bg5 (61% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.19 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 7. Ne2 Ne7 8. c3 Ba5 9. Ng3 c6)
- ECO
- C49
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/ppp2ppp/2np1n2/1B2p3/1b2P3/2NP1N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 7- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 26 | |
| 1500-1999 | 18 | |
| 2000+ | 62 | |
| All | 106 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Bg5 | 65 (61%) | |
| 7. Ne2 Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation (6… d6 7. Ne2) | 13 (12%) | |
| 7. Bxc6 | 8 (8%) | |
| 7. h3 | 6 (6%) | |
| 7. Bd2 | 5 (5%) | |
| 7. a3 | 5 (5%) | |
| 7. Nd5 | 2 (2%) | |
| 7. Be3 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
276 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 47%, draw 26%, Black 27%). The strongest:
- GM Susanto Megaranto (2529) – GM Quang Liem Le (2709) 1-0 · 31st SEA Games Blitz Team · 2022-05-21
- GM MarcAndria Maurizzi (2581) – GM Bassem Amin (2654) 1-0 · Djerba Masters 2025 · 2025-02-22
- GM Yi Wei (2557) – GM Hua Ni (2661) 0-1 · 3rd Chinese Master Rapid Men · 2013-07-30
- IM Vladislav Artemiev (2570) – GM Aleksey Goganov (2581) 1/2-1/2 · Andranik Margaryan Mem 2014 · 2014-01-12
- GM Zoltan Dr. Medvegy (2539) – GM Ante Brkic (2600) 1/2-1/2 · 28th TCh-CRO Div 1b 2019 · 2019-10-06
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Juplt3rLlk3 (2708) – T-Stevenson (2650) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- IM MassterofMayhem (2650) – AlwaysLookingForMore (2708) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- TregubenkoKolya_2010 (2625) – FM fbf96 (2623) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish (5… O-O 6. d3) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3
Continuations
- Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation (6… d6 7. Ne2) C49 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Ne2
- Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation (7. Bg5 Ne7) C49 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Ne7
- Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Metger Unpin 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
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.