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Four Knights Game

All four knights come out first: the most natural development there is. Safe, symmetrical and great for learning how pieces cooperate.

Beginner · Open games (1.e4 e5) · 14 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Four Knights Game (C48). You play White. All four knights come out first: the most natural development there is. Safe, symmetrical and great for learning how pieces cooperate.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 336k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 8% of 293k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 92% of 23k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Bb5

White plays bishop to b5. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 36% of 27k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Bb4

Black plays bishop to b4. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 39% of 10k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.O-O

White castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 90% of 4030 games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 93% of 3525 games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.d3

White plays pawn to d3. It controls the centre (e4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 83% of 3346 games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...d6

Black plays pawn to d6. It controls the centre (e5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 66% of 2722 games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♜︎♚︎
The position

This is the main position of the Four Knights Game. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Open games (1.e4 e5)

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