Chess Openings Lab
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English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation

The Nimzowitsch Variation of the English Four Knights is 4.e4, setting pawns on c4 and e4 around the d5 square. White gets a firm grip on d5 but leaves a hole on d4, and Black aims pieces at that hole with ...Bb4, ...Bc5 and ...Nd4.

Moves
1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e4
ECO
A28
Engine
+0.07 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
765 games in our lichess sample
White scores
50.8%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play d3, Be2 and short castling. The c4 and e4 pawns make d5 a permanent post for a knight.
  • Chase a bishop on c5 with a3 and b4, then Na4 to trade it, as the top engine line does.
  • After 4...Bc5, 5.Nxe5 takes a pawn, but Black regains it with ...Nxe4 and a rook on e8.
  • Keep the f-pawn ready; f4 is a later break when the kingside is secure.

Black

  • 4...Bb4 is the engine's top choice, pinning the c3 knight and fighting for d5 and e4.
  • ...d6 and ...Nd4 use the hole White's pawns left on d4.
  • Answer 5.Nxe5 in the ...Bc5 line with castling and ...Nxe4, using the open e-file.
  • ...b6 and a fianchetto is a quieter option that hits e4 from b7.

Plans and pawn structure

The structure is fixed early: White's c4 and e4 pawns against Black's e5. White's knights want d5, and Black's want d4. White usually plays d3, castles and expands on the queenside with a3 and b4, sometimes adding f4. Black plays ...d6, castles, and puts a knight on d4, then aims for ...f5 to challenge e4 from the side. Neither side should give up its outpost cheaply.

Where the engine's main line heads: Open game: e4 against e5. An open game: e4 against e5. Development, the f7 and f2 squares, and the d4 or d5 break are what count.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.07: level. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. +0.07 4...Bb4 5.d3 d6 6.a3 Bc5 7.b4
  2. +0.28 4...Bc5 5.Nxe5 O-O 6.Nf3 Nxe4 7.Nxe4
  3. +0.32 4...b6 5.a3 Bb7 6.d4 exd4 7.Nxd4

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

765 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 50.8%.

under 120052.2%
1200–159946.9%
1600–199953.9%
2000 and up51.1%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

As Black, choose 4...Bb4 and develop with ...d6 and ...O-O; the d4 square is your outpost. Avoid 4...Bc5 unless you know the 5.Nxe5 lines. As White, do not rush d4; it opens the position and gives up your grip on d5.

Questions

What are the moves of the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation?

The English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation starts 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e4. Its ECO code is A28.

Is the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.07 at depth 20, which is level. In 765 lichess games from our sample, White scored 50.8%. A clear structural choice for White players who like outposts and slow maneuvering, but Black's counterplay on d4 is real.

What is the main idea of the English Opening: Four Knights System, Nimzowitsch Variation?

White sets pawns on c4 and e4 to control d5, giving up the d4 square. Black uses ...Bb4, ...d6 and ...Nd4 to make that hole count.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is Bb4, with Bc5 and b6 close behind. 4...Bb4 pins the c3 knight and adds pressure on e4.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.