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English Opening: Four Knights Variation

1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 · A28–A29

Part of English Opening

Starting positionWhite to move

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The bishop pins c3, not d4

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The idea

Both sides develop their knights after 1.c4 e5, and White plays d4 to challenge Black's centre. The resulting exchanges open lines while Black's ...Bb4 pin tests White's coordination.

Main line: 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Bd2 O-O

What White wants

  • Play d4 to open the centre and gain space
  • Support the d4 knight and develop with g3 and Bg2
  • Use active pieces and prevent Black from equalising with ...d5

What Black wants

  • Take on d4 and pin with ...Bb4
  • Develop with ...O-O and ...d5 to free the position
  • Trade pieces and neutralise White's space

Key idea

Understand this and the moves stop needing to be memorised.

The bishop pins c3, not d4

After d4 exd4 Nxd4, Black's ...Bb4 pins the knight on c3 to the king. The d4 knight remains free to move. White can answer the pin with Bd2 or develop the kingside while watching tactics against the c3 defender.

Common mistake

Assuming the central knight on d4 is pinned by ...Bb4. The pin is on c3, so White should calculate which knight is actually restricted and develop the bishop or king rather than defend an imaginary pin on d4.

Representative position

The position this opening is aiming at. Copy the FEN, or open it in the analysis board and let the engine tell you what it is worth.

r1bq1rk1/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/8/1bPN4/2N5/PP1BPPPP/R2QKB1R w KQ - 3 7

Analyze this position

Related openings

English Opening1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 d5 · A10–A39White opens with the c-pawn and fights for d5 from the flank — a flexible, positional opening that can become almost anything.English Opening: Symmetrical Variation1.c4 c5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.g3 g6 · A30–A39Black mirrors with ...c5 and both sides fianchetto, producing one of the most balanced and strategically deep structures in chess.English Opening: Reversed Sicilian1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.g3 Bb4 · A20–A29Black plays ...e5 and the game becomes a Sicilian with reversed colours, where White owns the extra tempo and Black must attack to compensate.Four Knights Game1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4 · C46–C49Both sides develop all four knights before committing a pawn, producing one of the most solid and symmetrical openings in chess.English Opening: King's Indian Defense1.c4 g6 2.Nc3 Bg7 3.g3 e5 4.Bg2 d6 · A10–A14Black meets the English with a kingside fianchetto and ...e5, while White also fianchettoes and chooses a flexible pawn centre. This is a King's Indian-style setup, not a colour-reversed King's Indian.English Opening: Botvinnik System1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nc6 3.g3 g6 4.Bg2 Bg7 · A26White builds the ideal English setup — pawns on c4 and e4, bishop on g2, knight on e2 — before deciding where the attack will go.