Chess Openings Lab
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Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted

The Scotch Variation Accepted is 4.d4 exd4 in the Four Knights: Black takes the central pawn and White must decide how to win it back. 5.Nxd4 leads to the Scotch Four Knights and 5.Nd5 is the Belgrade Gambit, while Black aims for ...Bb4 and ...d5.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4
ECO
C47
Engine
+0.07 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
6,902 games in our lichess sample
White scores
54.6%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • 5.Nxd4 is the main line. After 5...Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3, White castles next and keeps e4 protected.
  • The Belgrade Gambit 5.Nd5 leaves the pawn on d4 for a while; after 5...Nb4 6.Nxf6+ Qxf6 7.a3 the knight is driven back to c6.
  • Bg5 pinning the f6-knight is the standard follow-up once White has castled, adding pressure before Black gets ...d5 in.
  • Avoid 5.Nb5: after 5...Nxe4 Black is a clean pawn up with ...d5 and ...Bc5 coming.

Black

  • Against 5.Nxd4 the engine plays 5...Bb4, pinning the c3-knight and adding pressure on e4.
  • After 6.Nxc6 bxc6, the c6 pawn supports the center. Castle, then 8...d5 fights for the middle.
  • Against the Belgrade Gambit, 5...Nb4 attacks the d5-knight and the c2 square, forcing White to spend time with a3.

Plans and pawn structure

In the Scotch Four Knights line, ...bxc6 and ...d5 give Black a broad pawn center but a weakened queenside. White plays Bd3, castles and uses Bg5 to pin the f6-knight, and may trade on d5 to fix Black's pawns. Black uses the half-open b-file with ...Rb8 and the pressure on c3 to keep e4 under fire. Each side has clear targets, so the game rarely stays quiet.

What the engine plays from here

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

  1. +0.07 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Nxc6 bxc6 7.Bd3 O-O
  2. −0.21 5.Nd5 Nb4 6.Nxf6+ Qxf6 7.a3 Nc6
  3. −1.49 5.Nb5 Nxe4 6.Bd3 d5 7.O-O Bc5

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

6,902 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 54.6%.

under 120052.5%
1200–159956.3%
1600–199954.2%
2000 and up53.1%

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

Where it goes next

  • Scotch Variation, Belgrade Gambit, Modern Defense5.Nd5 · rare
  • Scotch Variation Accepted, Main Line5.Nxd4 · rare

How to play against it

Recapture with 5.Nxd4 unless you know the Belgrade Gambit well. Do not play 5.Nb5, which loses the e4 pawn for nothing. After 5...Bb4, take on c6 and play Bd3 so the e4 pawn stays defended. Castle before you look for Bg5 or e5.

Questions

What are the moves of the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted?

The Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4 exd4. Its ECO code is C47.

Is the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.07 at depth 20, which is level. In 6,902 lichess games from our sample, White scored 54.6%. A sound, open line that rewards concrete calculation; both sides need to know a few tactical points about e4.

What is the main idea of the Four Knights Game: Scotch Variation Accepted?

Black removes White's d-pawn and plays for ...Bb4 and ...d5. White wins the pawn back with 5.Nxd4 and fights for the initiative with Bd3, castling and a pin on f6 with Bg5.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is Nxd4, with Nd5 and Nb5 close behind. 5.Nxd4 regains the pawn at once and keeps a pleasant open position.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.