C48 Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation
C48 holds 13 named lines, all under the name Four Knights Game. It leaves C47 (Four Knights Game) with 4.Bb5. Material is no longer level at the end of six of its lines; the widest gap, three pawns in White’s favour, comes in Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation. That final move, by the bishop, opens a line for the rook on h1 and attacks the knight on c6.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e5 |
| 2 | Nf3 | Nc6 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Nf6 |
| 4 | Bb5 |
Lines filed under C48
All 13 share the start 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 and then split two ways at Black’s move 2.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 | 7 | |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Classical Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bc5 | 8 | |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 | 8 | |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Ranken Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 a6 5.Bxc6 | 9 | White +3 |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Be2 | 9 | |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation Accepted | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Nxd4 | 9 | White +3 |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Henneberger Variation | 2...Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.O-O | 9 | White castled |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation | 2...Nf6 3.Nc3 Nc6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Nxe5 Qe7 6.f4 | 11 | White +1 |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Gambit | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Ba4 Bc5 6.Nxe5 O-O | 12 | White +1, Black castled |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Marshall Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Nxe5 Bc5 6.O-O O-O | 12 | White +1, both castled |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Bardeleben Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bc5 5.O-O O-O 6.Nxe5 Nxe5 7.d4 Bd6 8.f4 Nc6 9.e5 Bb4 | 18 | Black +2, both castled |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Rubinstein Variation, Maróczy Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Nd4 5.Be2 Nxf3+ 6.Bxf3 Bc5 7.O-O O-O 8.d3 d6 9.Na4 Bb6 | 18 | both castled |
| Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Spielmann Variation | 2...Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 a6 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Nxe5 Nxe4 7.Nxe4 Qd4 8.O-O Qxe5 9.Re1 Be6 10.d4 Qd5 | 20 | White castled |
The road to C48
- 1.e4 … 2...Nc6four earlier stops: B00, C20, C40, C44
- 3.Nc3C46 Three Knights Opening
- 3...Nf6C47 Four Knights Game
- 4.Bb5C48
The position after 4.Bb5
White has brought out the knight on c3, knight on f3 and bishop on b5; Black the knight on c6 and knight on f6. Black could capture with Nxe4. Black is to move and has 28 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from C48
The reference lines of one other code leave C48 from the position after 4.Bb5, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| C49 | 4...Bb4 | Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C65 | Ruy Lopez: Berlin Defense | two squares: b1, c3 |
| C28 | Vienna Game: Stanley Variation, Three Knights Variation | four squares: g1, f3, c4, b5 |
| C46 | Three Knights Opening | four squares: f1, b5, f6, g8 |
| C55 | Italian Game: Two Knights Defense | four squares: b1, c3, c4, b5 |
| C60 | Ruy Lopez | four squares: b1, c3, f6, g8 |
| A28 | English Opening: King’s English Variation, Four Knights Variation | six squares: f1, c2, e2, c4, e4, b5 |
| C26 | Vienna Game: Falkbeer Variation | six squares: f1, g1, f3, b5, c6, b8 |
Where lines continue from here
Fifteen named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 4.Bb5. All of them belong to the codes listed above.