The Two Knights Defense is 1. 2. 3. : you bring out your other knight and hit e4, which has no defender after 3.. Your opponent can prop it up with 4., the choice of 58 of every 100 strong players, or go after f7 with 4.. Across 430,499 Lichess games at 900–1700 (September 2026), you score 47% as Black.
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
26 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 4. 5. , opponents at your level split on move six: 25 of every 100 castle and 21 play 6.. Among online players rated 2200+, 42 of every 100 castle, and in over-the-board games at 2300+ it's 58; another 29 of every 100 there pin your f6 knight to the queen with 6.. The biggest gap is in your own move. After 6., 45 of every 100 players at your level pin the f3 knight with . Only 5 of every 100 strong players do that, and their main line goes instead.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 25.4% | 51.8% | 41.9% | 57.9% | |
| 20.7% | 54.0% | 9.6% | no data | |
| 13.6% | 51.8% | 6.2% | 4.6% | |
| 9.3% | 53.4% | no data | 28.9% | |
| 8.3% | 58.4% | 8.1% | 3.3% | |
| 6.9% | 53.9% | 12.3% | 5.3% | |
| no data | no data | 16.2% | no data |
With you ask about e4 as early as move three. The strong players' line shows the calm answer: 4. 5. 6. 7. . Your goal in it is to have the center and the queenside ready for the moment your opponent pushes d4, and to castle once everything is in place.
4. settles e4 with a pawn, so your f6 knight has nothing left to win there. puts the bishop on its most active diagonal: from c5 it eyes f2, which at that point only the white king defends. 49 of every 100 strong players choose it.
5. has two aims against that bishop. It covers d4, so the d-pawn can advance with support, and it covers b4, so the b-pawn can kick the bishop off c5. gets you ready for the d4 idea: the d6 pawn holds e5, so when d4 arrives you don't have to trade and your center stays put. It also opens the diagonal for your c8 bishop.
After 6., deals with the b4 idea. With your pawn on a5, if White's b-pawn lands on b4 it's hit by the a5 pawn, the c5 bishop and the c6 knight, and only the c3 pawn defends it. Your bishop stays on its diagonal toward f2.
7. puts the rook behind e4, which until now only the d3 pawn was holding. It tells you d4 is coming: once that pawn moves up, the rook keeps guarding e4 against your f6 knight. takes your king off the e-file, where the rook now points, before the break lands. After 7., 84 of every 100 strong players castle here.
Against 4. the plan changes: knight and bishop both hit f7, and only your king defends it. steps into the bishop's diagonal and attacks the c4 bishop and the e4 pawn at once. After 5., the pawn on d5 still blocks that diagonal. leaves it alone: it hits the bishop that was aiming at f7 and buys you time to develop in exchange for a pawn.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 17,169 | 57.7% | |
| 10,093 | 49.3% | |
| 6,435 | 43.5% | |
| 5,028 | 56.1% | |
| 2,827 | 42.8% | |
| 2,225 | 25.7% | |
| 605 | 66.0% | |
| 332 | 83.7% |
After 4. 5., wins the pawn back, but the c4 bishop hits your knight. After 6. 7., the queen checks and attacks d5: holds it with your king in the center, and 8. piles on. Play instead. Nearly half of players choose , and you score 36.5 against 52.0.
48 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 36.5%; scores 52.0%.
A blunder that's rarely punished at your level. After 4., grabs a pawn but leaves f7 hanging. 5. costs you castling, and 6. hits e5. After 7. , material is level, but your king is stuck on f7. is better. Even so, scores 54.7 for you against 45.7.
6 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 3.6 pawns of advantage. It scores 54.7%; scores 45.7%.
After 4., shores up e5 but does nothing for f7. 5. hits it with knight and bishop, and spends a second tempo on the same pawn. After 6. 7. you're a pawn down. Play instead: after 5. , the pawn forks bishop and knight. You score 46.6 against 58.1.
8 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.6 pawns of advantage. It scores 46.6%; scores 58.1%.
After 4., rules out 5., but it doesn't develop a piece. 5. opens the center, and after 6. 7. you're left with doubled c-pawns. is better, because only the c3 knight guards e4 and wins the piece back. You score 49.5 against 58.1.
11 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 49.5%; scores 58.1%.
An inaccuracy that's rarely punished at your level. After 4., leaves f7 with a single defender and aims at f2. With 5. 6. your opponent wins a pawn and your king loses castling rights; after 7. you look for play against c2. is the better move, yet scores 48.2 for you and 45.7.
11 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1 pawn of advantage. It scores 48.2%; scores 45.7%.
After 4., adds the queen to the defense of f7, but it isn't enough. 5. comes anyway: the g5 knight protects the bishop, so your king can't take it, and if your queen does, 6. wins her. After 6. you've lost a pawn and your castling rights. Play . You score 32.6 against 45.7.
3 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2.9 pawns of advantage. It scores 32.6%; scores 45.7%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 154,783 | ||
| Not castled | 97,635 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 85,135 |
| 40,725 | ||
| Not castled | 23,090 | |
| Not castled | 11,711 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 349 | ||
| 15 | ||
| Not castled | 13 | |
| Not castled | 12 | |
| 9 | ||
| Not castled | Not castled | 6 |
1. 2. 3. 4. · 117,774 amateur games · 339 over the board
4. protects e4 with a pawn and leads to a slow game. You score 47 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 54,664 amateur games
4. hits f7 with knight and bishop; cuts the bishop's diagonal. You score 40 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 48,652 amateur games · 49 over the board
gives up the d5 pawn and attacks the c4 bishop. You score 52 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · 35,506 amateur games
After , 6. gives up the knight to drag your king out. You score 29 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 22,325 amateur games · 5 over the board
ignores f7 and points at f2 instead. You score 48 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 17,057 amateur games
brings the knight to the center and hits the c2 pawn. You score 58 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 13,947 amateur games
4. strikes at e5 right away and opens the center before White castles.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 13,928 amateur games
After 4. , 5. goes after f7 a pawn down. You score 46 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 12,543 amateur games
Against 4., takes the pawn and leaves f7 undefended. You score 55 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 5,867 amateur games · 4 over the board
offers a pawn to kick the c4 bishop. You score 56 of every 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · 4,347 amateur games · 1 over the board
Reached via 3.; after , the e4 pawn pushes to e5 and hits your f6 knight.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · C57
2,965 amateur games · White's score: 56.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · C58
573 amateur games · White's score: 60.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C57
556 amateur games · White's score: 52.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · C58
131 amateur games · White's score: 49.2%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · C59
122 amateur games · White's score: 43.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · C57
64 amateur games · White's score: 57.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · C58
27 amateur games · White's score: 44.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · C57
21 amateur games · White's score: 28.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · C56
15 amateur games · White's score: 26.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. · C57
5 amateur games · White's score: 40.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. · C57
3 amateur games · White's score: 33.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · C58
1 amateur game · White's score: 100.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. · C59
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. · C56
It's Black's answer to the Italian Game, after 1. 2. 3.. Instead of developing the bishop to c5, you attack e4 with your other knight. At 900–1700 it comes up in 1.4 of every 100 games. As Black you score 46 of every 100 at 900–1100 and 48 at 1500–1700.
Answer 3. with and hit e4. If White protects it with 4., play , and , then castle once the rook reaches e1. If White plays 4., block the bishop with and after 5. go , not , which walks into 6..
It's 4. 5. . Rather than retaking on d5 or hitting the bishop with , you put the knight in the center, where it attacks the c2 pawn and covers f3. At your level it does well for Black: you score 58 of every 100 points with it.
It comes out of : 6. 7. 8. . Your c6 pawn takes the bishop, but that opens the long diagonal, and the f3 queen now hits your a8 rook. It's rare at your level, and you score 40 of every 100 points in it.