Chess opening · ECO C44
King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, Black defends e5 with a piece and develops in one move. This position is the starting point for the Italian Game, the Ruy Lopez, the Scotch and several other openings. On move three White decides the character of the game: pressure on the defending knight, a bishop aimed at f7, an early central break, a quiet knight move, or a pawn move that prepares d4.
- Rank by weighted share
- #5 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6
- 2. Nf3The knight attacks e5 and develops toward the kingside. Black must answer the threat, and the usual replies either defend the pawn or counterattack e4.
- 2... Nc6The c6 knight defends e5 and also watches d4, the square White most wants for a central pawn. Because it does both jobs, much of White's play from here targets this knight.
Five ways to spend move three
3.Bb5 attacks the knight that guards e5, leading to the Ruy Lopez. 3.Bc4 points the bishop at f7, the Italian Game. 3.d4 hits e5 at once in the Scotch Game.
3.Nc3 develops and protects e4, often reaching the Three or Four Knights. 3.c3, the Ponziani, prepares d4 so that White can recapture with a pawn and keep two pawns in the center.
The d4 square and the f7 square
Two squares come up again and again in these lines. White wants a pawn or a knight on d4, and the c6 knight stands in the way. The f7 pawn is guarded only by the black king, so it is the natural target for a bishop on c4 and a knight on g5.
Top replies by rating
Bc4 leads from under 1200 through 1799, ties with Bb5 in the 1800 to 1999 band, and gives up the lead to Bb5 at 2000 and up.
Questions
Is this position an opening of its own?
It is better seen as a crossroads. The name covers the shared moves, and the game almost always turns into one of the named openings once White plays the third move.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.