English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line
The Quiet Line is 4.e3 in the English Four Knights, a Sicilian Four Knights with colors reversed and an extra tempo. White prepares d4 to strike at e5, while Black's best is ...Bb4, which the engine meets with Nd5 before Black can double White's pawns.
- Moves
- 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3
- ECO
- A28
- Engine
- +0.07 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 610 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 60.6%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- Against ...Bb4, 5.Nd5 attacks the bishop and avoids doubled pawns. After ...e4, the knight retreats to g1, as in the top line.
- Prepare d4 to hit e5 and open the center, often with Be2 and short castling.
- Against ...d5, take on d5 and play Bb5, pinning the c6 knight.
- Qc2 and Qb3 are useful queen moves that pressure the long diagonal and the b7 pawn.
Black
- ...Bb4 is the engine's choice, pinning the c3 knight and preparing ...e4.
- ...e4 kicks the f3 knight and gains space.
- ...d5 opens the center; after cxd5 Nxd5, ...Nxc3 gives White doubled pawns.
- ...Be7 and castling is a quieter option, with ...Re8 supporting e5.
Plans and pawn structure
White wants d4 to open the position. Black's ...Bb4 and ...e4 aim to keep the center closed and cramp White. After 5.Nd5 e4 6.Ng1, White re-routes the knight and plays a3 and d3 to break up e4. In the ...d5 lines, White plays Bb5 and d4 against Black's broken c-pawns. White scored well in our sample.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.07: level. Its three top choices for Black:
- +0.07 4...Bb4 5.Nd5 e4 6.Ng1 O-O 7.a3
- +0.20 4...d5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.Bb5 Nxc3 7.bxc3
- +0.25 4...Be7 5.Qb3 O-O 6.Be2 Re8 7.d4
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
610 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 60.6%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
How to play against it
As Black, play ...Bb4 and prepare ...e4. Avoid passive moves that let White play d4 freely. As White, answer ...Bb4 with Nd5 and keep the d4 break ready.
Other lines with this name
The lichess opening list also files these lines under the same name, though they reach a different position: 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 Bxc3; 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3 Bb4 5.Qc2 O-O 6.Nd5 Re8 7.Qf5.
Questions
What are the moves of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line?
The English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line starts 1.c4 e5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Nf3 Nc6 4.e3. Its ECO code is A28.
Is the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line good for White?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.07 at depth 20, which is level. In 610 lichess games from our sample, White scored 60.6%. A solid choice for White players who like reversed Sicilian ideas, with good results in our sample.
What is the main idea of the English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation, Quiet Line?
White prepares d4 to open the center, while Black answers with ...Bb4 and ...e4. The game turns on whether White can break up Black's e4 pawn.
What should Black play next?
The engine's first choice is Bb4, with d5 and Be7 close behind. 4...Bb4 pins the c3 knight and prepares ...e4.
Related lines
- English Opening: King's English Variation, Four Knights Variation
- Fianchetto Line
- How to beat the English Openingguide
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.