Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish
The Double Spanish is 4...Bb4, copying White's Bb5 so that each bishop presses on a knight. White tries to break the symmetry with O-O, d3 and a well-timed Bg5 or Ne2, while Black plans ...O-O, ...Nd4 and ...d5.
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4
- ECO
- C49
- Engine
- +0.20 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
- Played
- 1,764 games in our lichess sample
- White scores
- 50.9%
Key ideas for both sides
White
- 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 keeps things solid. After 6...Nd4 7.Nxd4 exd4, 8.Ne2 attacks the d4 pawn.
- Bg5 pinning the f6-knight to the queen is the classic way to break the mirror once d3 has opened the c1-bishop.
- 5.Bxc6 dxc6 gives Black the bishop pair but damaged pawns, and 6.h3 rules out ...Bg4.
Black
- Castle and answer d3 with 6...Nd4, trading knights; the pawn that lands on d4 cramps c3 and e3.
- After the knight trade, 8...d5 hits e4 and opens the game while White's bishop still sits on b5.
- If White pins with Bg5, ...Bxc3 followed by ...h6 or ...Qe7 is the usual way to shake it off.
Plans and pawn structure
Symmetry means the side who changes the structure first usually gets the better game. White's main tools are Bg5 and Nd5, which hit the f6-knight and the b4-bishop. Black's main tool is ...Nd4, trading knights and planting a pawn on d4 that takes c3 and e3 from White's pieces. Later ...d5 lets Black open the center, and ...Bxc3 can saddle White with doubled pawns.
What the engine plays from here
Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.20: level. Its three top choices for White:
- +0.20 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 Nd4 7.Nxd4 exd4
- +0.06 5.a4 O-O 6.O-O Re8 7.Re1 Bc5
- −0.05 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.h3 Bxc3 7.bxc3 Nxe4
Pawns, from White's side.
How it scores on lichess
1,764 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 50.9%.
Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.
Where it goes next
- Spanish Variation, Symmetrical Variation, Blake Variation5.O-O · rare
How to play against it
Keep it simple with 5.O-O and 6.d3, then decide between Bg5 and Ne2-g3. Be ready for ...Nd4: take with the knight and play Ne2 to hit the d4 pawn. Trading on c6 early is fine, but it hands Black the two bishops.
Other lines with this name
The lichess opening list also files this line under the same name, though it reaches a different position: 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4 5.O-O O-O 6.d3.
Questions
What are the moves of the Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish?
The Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4. Its ECO code is C49.
Is the Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish good for Black?
Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.20 at depth 20, which is level. In 1,764 lichess games from our sample, White scored 50.9%. A safe choice for Black players who like solid structures; it gives White few targets but demands patience.
What is the main idea of the Four Knights Game: Spanish Variation, Double Spanish?
Black copies White's setup and waits for White to commit. The key ideas are ...Nd4 to trade knights and ...d5 to open the center, while White looks for Bg5 or Nd5 to break the symmetry.
What should White play next?
The engine's first choice is O-O, with a4 and Bxc6 close behind. 5.O-O castles and keeps every option open, waiting for Black to show a plan before d3 or Bg5.
Related lines
Updated October 2026. Sources and method.