Four Knights Game: Italian Variation

Four Knights Game: Italian Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code C47, part of the Four Knights Game family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 7 moves it is Black to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
• 1... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
• 2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
• 2... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
• 3. Bc4 – White plays the bishop to c4
• 3... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 4. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 4... Nxe4.

About the Four Knights Game

Both sides bring out both knights: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6. It is a classical, healthy opening that follows the basic rules.

• White chooses 4.Bb5 (Spanish), 4.d4 (Scotch) or 4.Bc4 (Italian) style.
• Black can answer 4.Bb5 with ...Bb4 (copying) or the sharp ...Nd4.
• Watch the pin Bg5 on the f6 knight in symmetrical lines.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Four Knights Game: Italian Variation course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Italian Game: Two Knights Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6)
• Continues with: Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, Noa Gambit – adds 4... Nxe4 5. Bxf7+
• Continues with: Italian Game: Two Knights Defense – adds 4... Nxe4 5. Nxe4 d5
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Plasma Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Nc6 6. d5 Ne5 7. f4 Ng6 8. e5 Ng8 9. d6 cxd6 10. exd6 Qf6 11. Nb5 Rb8)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Italian Variation, Noa Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nxe4 5. Bxf7+)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit, Oldtimer Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5 Nxe5 5. d4 Ng6 6. e5 Ng8 7. Bc4 Bb4 8. Qf3 f5)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Naroditsky Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nd5)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Halloween Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nxe5)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. d4)

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