ecocodes
Volume C · Open games and the French Defense‹ C45C47 ›
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
Reference position · Black to move

C46 Three Knights Opening

C46 holds six named lines, all under the name Three Knights Opening. It leaves C44 (King’s Knight Opening: Normal Variation) with 3.Nc3. That final move, by the knight, opens a line for the rook on a1 and guards the pawn on e4. Of all other reference positions, the board of C47 (Four Knights Game) comes closest, two squares apart.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1e4e5
2Nf3Nc6
3Nc3

Lines filed under C46

All six share their first five plies, the whole reference line and then split three ways at Black’s move 3.

NameAfter the shared startPliesAt the end
Three Knights Opening(the shared start itself)5
Three Knights Opening3...Bb46
Three Knights Opening: Steinitz Defense3...g66
Three Knights Opening: Winawer Defense3...f56
Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation3...Bb4 4.Nd5 Nf68
Three Knights Opening: Steinitz-Rosenthal Variation3...g6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd59Black +1

The road to C46

  1. 1.e4 … 1...e5two earlier stops: B00, C20
  2. 2.Nf3C40 King’s Knight Opening
  3. 2...Nc6C44 Normal Variation
  4. 3.Nc3C46

The position after 3.Nc3

White has brought out the knight on c3 and knight on f3; Black the knight on c6. Black is to move and has 31 legal moves.

WhiteBlackMaterial (pawn units)3939Minor pieces developed21Moves spent on pawns11Pawns on d4, e4, d5, e511Squares attacked in the other half65not castlednot castled

Codes that branch off from C46

The reference lines of one other code leave C46 from the position after 3.Nc3, each with its own moves.

CodeMovesReference line
C473...Nf6Four Knights Game

Closest boards in other codes

CodeLineDiffers on
A27English Opening: King’s English Variation, Three Knights Systemfour squares: c2, e2, c4, e4
C25Vienna Gamefour squares: g1, f3, c6, b8
C40King’s Knight Openingfour squares: b1, c3, c6, b8
C48Four Knights Game: Spanish Variationfour squares: f1, b5, f6, g8
C50Italian Gamefour squares: b1, f1, c3, c4
C60Ruy Lopezfour squares: b1, f1, c3, b5
A25English Opening: King’s English Variation, Reversed Closed Siciliansix squares: g1, c2, e2, f3, c4, e4

Where lines continue from here

Forty-two named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 3.Nc3. Besides the codes above, they belong to C48, C49.

Volume C

  1. 00
  2. 01
  3. 02
  4. 03
  5. 04
  6. 05
  7. 06
  8. 07
  9. 08
  10. 09
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. 85
  87. 86
  88. 87
  89. 88
  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. 93
  95. 94
  96. 95
  97. 96
  98. 97
  99. 98
  100. 99

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