Four Knights Game win rate
White scored 52.2% (margin 0.6 points) in 23,090 rated games of the Four Knights Game, ECO C47, played between players within 100 rating points on 1 September 2026. It ranked number 19 of 117 openings by popularity and made up 1.4% of all games.
- White wins 49.9%
- Draws 4.5%
- Black wins 45.6%
23,090 games
How often does White win in the Four Knights Game?
White won 49.9% of the 23,090 games, 4.5% were drawn and Black won 45.6%. White's score of 52.2% is no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 0.3 points is inside the margin of 0.6 points.
| Result | Games | Share |
|---|---|---|
| White wins | 11,525 | 49.9% |
| Draws | 1,038 | 4.5% |
| Black wins | 10,527 | 45.6% |
Does the Four Knights Game score differently at different ratings?
White's score is highest at 1200 to 1599 (52.6%) and lowest at under 1200 (51.4%). That spread of 1.1 points is inside the two margins added together, so the data show no clear difference between the bands.
Players rated under 1200 choose the Four Knights Game most often relative to their other openings, in 2.7 percent of their games.
| Rating band | Games | Share of the band | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| under 1200 | 7,490 | 2.7% | 51.4% | 1.1 |
| 1200 to 1599 | 9,202 | 1.6% | 52.6% | 1.0 |
| 1600 to 1999 | 5,347 | 0.9% | 52.3% | 1.3 |
How does the Four Knights Game do in blitz, rapid and classical?
The time control changes who tends to win, because the clock matters more in faster games. Rows with fewer than 1,500 games are left out.
| Time control | Games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blitz | 14,083 | 52.6% | 0.8 |
| Rapid | 8,722 | 51.3% | 1.0 |
What are the most played lines of the Four Knights Game?
The most played named line is the Italian Variation, with 9,472 games and a White score of 51.6%. The table lists the ten most played lines that reached 300 games; a line below that is counted in the last row.
| Line | Games | White score | Margin (points) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italian Variation | 9,472 | 51.6% | 1.0 |
| Scotch Variation Accepted | 2,979 | 54.1% | 1.7 |
| Spanish Variation | 1,690 | 54.1% | 2.3 |
| Spanish Variation, Classical Variation | 1,450 | 52.9% | 2.5 |
| Scotch Variation | 1,198 | 54.7% | 2.7 |
| Spanish Variation, Double Spanish | 724 | 51.9% | 3.6 |
| Gunsberg Variation | 649 | 53.0% | 3.7 |
| Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation | 559 | 61.0% | 4.0 |
| Halloween Gambit | 510 | 52.7% | 4.2 |
| Italian Variation, Noa Gambit | 446 | 47.5% | 4.6 |
| Main line and less played lines | 3,413 | 48.9% | 1.6 |
How were these opening statistics measured?
Rated Blitz, Rapid and Classical games on 1 September 2026 between players within 100 rating points, banded by the lower rating. A score is wins plus half the draws, with a 95 percent margin. The hub page explains the method in full.
Frequently asked questions
What is the win rate of the Four Knights Game?
White won 49.9%, drew 4.5% and lost 45.6% of 23,090 games, a White score of 52.2% with a margin of 0.6 points. These are games on Lichess on 1 September 2026.
Is the Four Knights Game good for White?
At these ratings White's score was no clear difference from White's score across all openings (51.9%): the gap of 0.3 points is inside the margin of 0.6 points. A difference of a point or two is small, and the side that picks an opening also picks which games reach it, so the number describes what happened at these ratings and is not a ruling on the opening.
What is the most popular line of the Four Knights Game?
The Italian Variation was the most played named line, with 9,472 games, which is 41.0% of the games of the Four Knights Game.
Sources
Related guides and tools
- Petrov's Defense win rate and statistics
- Vienna Game win rate and statistics
- Zukertort Opening win rate and statistics
- Englund Gambit win rate and statistics
- Indian Defense win rate and statistics
- Nimzowitsch Defense win rate and statistics
- Chess opening statistics for players rated under 1200
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 1200 to 1599
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 1600 to 1999
- Chess opening statistics for players rated 2000 and above
- Most popular chess openings and win rates
- Chess terms glossary
- Book your first lesson
Last updated 2026-10-22.
Want to know which openings suit your games?
Start with a first lesson: George reviews your games and builds a written study plan around what he finds.
Cancel or reschedule a lesson up to 24 hours ahead by replying to the email that set it up, and it stays on your package.