King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation

King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code C44, part of the King's Knight Opening family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 4 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

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 3. Bb5, 3. d4, 3. Bc4, 3. Nc3, 3. Be2.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: King's Knight Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3)
• Continues with: Irish Gambit – adds 3. Nxe5
• Continues with: King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky – adds 3. g3
• Continues with: King's Pawn Game: Dresden Opening – adds 3. c4
• Continues with: King's Pawn Game: Pachman Wing Gambit – adds 3. b4
• Continues with: King's Pawn Game: Tayler Opening – adds 3. Be2
• Continues with: Latvian Gambit: Clam Gambit – adds 3. d3 f5 4. exf5
• Continues with: Ponziani Opening – adds 3. c3
• Continues with: Scotch Game – adds 3. d4
• Related line: King's Knight Opening: Konstantinopolsky (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. g3)

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