Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation

Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code C48, part of the Four Knights Game family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 8 moves it is White 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. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
• 3... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 4. Bb5 – White plays the bishop to b5
• 4... Nd4 – Black plays the knight to d4

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.

Related openings

• It extends: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5)
• Continues with: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation – adds 5. Be2
• Continues with: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation Accepted – adds 5. Nxd4
• Continues with: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit – adds 5. Ba4 Bc5 6. Nxe5 O-O
• Continues with: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Variation – adds 5. Nxe5 Bc5 6. O-O O-O
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 a6 5. Bxc6)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Be2)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Classical Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxe5 Qe7 6. f4)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Bardeleben Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bc5 5. O-O O-O 6. Nxe5 Nxe5 7. d4 Bd6 8. f4 Nc6 9. e5 Bb4)
• Related line: Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation Accepted (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Nd4 5. Nxd4)

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