The Three Knights Opening comes from 1. 2. 3.: you bring out your second knight before the bishops and guard e4 from c3. As White you score 51.2% across 267,983 Lichess games between 900 and 1700 (September 2026 data). On move three your opponent chooses between , bringing out their second knight, and something else, most often .
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.
5 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 3., 49 in 100 opponents at your level play , 23 play , and 9 each go for or . Among online players rated over 2200, climbs to 86 in 100 and drops to 6. So at your level you need two things ready. Against , the e5 pawn is guarded only by the c6 knight, and 4. scores 60 in 100 for you. Against , the most popular choice at your level is 4., played in 38 in 100 games, and you score 50 with it. Strong players prefer 4. and 4., close to 3 in 10 games each; at your level 4. gets you 55.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 49.1% | 50.8% | 85.5% | 96.7% | |
| 23.3% | 49.4% | 6.4% | 1.4% | |
| 9.3% | 52.2% | 1.5% | no data | |
| 9.1% | 50.4% | 1.8% | no data | |
| 1.8% | 52.6% | no data | no data | |
| 1.5% | 51.2% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 2.3% | 1.9% | |
| no data | no data | 0.9% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 38.4% | 50.1% | 10.8% | no data | |
| 21.7% | 54.6% | 28.7% | 34.3% | |
| 20.9% | 52.6% | 28.1% | 42.4% | |
| 8.8% | 48.7% | no data | no data | |
| 2.5% | 54.1% | no data | no data | |
| 2.0% | 51.7% | 14.1% | 4.8% | |
| no data | no data | 4.9% | 11.8% | |
| no data | no data | 4.7% | 3.1% | |
| no data | no data | no data | 3.6% |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 69.5% | 54.0% | 90.4% | 93.0% | |
| 10.3% | 51.4% | 8.4% | 7.0% | |
| 9.9% | 56.7% | 0.8% | no data | |
| 3.8% | 61.5% | no data | no data | |
| 2.3% | 58.2% | 0.2% | no data | |
| 2.2% | 52.1% | 0.2% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 97.5% | 54.3% | 88.0% | 100.0% | |
| 1.8% | 53.1% | 12.0% | no data | |
| 0.3% | 49.2% | no data | no data | |
| 0.2% | 41.5% | no data | no data | |
| 0.1% | 10.8% | no data | no data | |
| 0.1% | 26.8% | no data | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 45.6% | 56.5% | 1.5% | no data | |
| 24.6% | 48.1% | 79.8% | 92.4% | |
| 17.4% | 54.3% | 8.8% | 7.6% | |
| 4.1% | 54.0% | 2.0% | no data | |
| 2.3% | 54.6% | 0.3% | no data | |
| 2.3% | 55.5% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 7.3% | no data |
Against , the line strong players use opens the centre, plants a knight on d4 and ends with your e4 pawn firmly held and your opponent's c-pawns doubled. The sequence is 4. 5. 6. 7..
4. hits e5 and forces your opponent to decide right away what to do with that central pawn. Among strong players, 90 in 100 trade it with ; at your level, 70. You take back with 5.: the f3 knight reaches the centre, and your e4 pawn now faces only the d7 pawn.
Then comes the reply that matters most, . With your d-pawn gone, d2 is empty, so the bishop pins your c3 knight to the king. e4 has no other defender, and a pinned knight can't recapture, so the f6 knight threatens to grab the pawn. At the same time, the c6 knight is attacking your knight on d4, which only the queen defends.
6. solves the second problem and gains a tempo: from c6 your knight attacks the queen on d8 and the bishop on b4, so your opponent has to recapture. After , chosen by 98 in 100 strong players, the c6 and c7 pawns are doubled and the a7 pawn is isolated.
That leaves e4. 7., played by 94 in 100 strong players, gives it a second defender and clears f1. The order makes sense: first the trade that forces a recapture, then the bishop that protects the pawn and prepares short castling. Once you castle, the c3 knight is no longer pinned to your king.
At your level the game rarely gets that far. After 5., 46 in 100 opponents swap knights with , and only 25 find , which strong players pick 80 times in 100. After the swap you recapture with 6., the only capture available, and your queen sits in the centre: you score 57 in 100. Against you drop to 48, and that's the line where e4 comes under fire.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 10,990 | 85.9% | |
| 13,458 | 28.9% | |
| 3,861 | 90.5% | |
| 3,482 | 88.5% | |
| 4,101 | 80.2% | |
| 3,251 | 98.4% | |
| 3,174 | 97.9% | |
| 3,156 | 94.2% |
Against , 4. is an inaccuracy: it develops the bishop but skips 4., against an e5 pawn held only by the c6 knight. After 5. 6. 7. both sides have castled and e5 is still standing. 40 in 100 players choose it in your shoes; you score 48 in 100, against 60 with 4..
40 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.6 pawns of advantage. It scores 47.9%; scores 60.0%.
Against , 4. is an inaccuracy your opponent exploits with , hitting the b5 bishop and the f3 knight at once. After 5. 6. 7. you've moved the bishop twice and your opponent has traded their knight for yours. You score 50 in 100; with 4., 60.
20 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 50.2%; scores 60.0%.
Against , 4. gives up a knight for the e5 pawn, a serious mistake. After 5. 6. 7. your pawns push both enemy knights back, but you're still a piece down for a pawn. At your level it rarely gets punished: you score 54 in 100, and 53 with 4..
3 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.9 pawns of advantage. It scores 54.1%; scores 52.6%.
After 4. , only your opponent's king defends f7, and 5. hits it with knight and bishop. 5., played by 38 in 100, is a mistake that lets the chance slip. After , attacking your bishop, 6. 7. 8. you've spent two moves on the d-pawn. You score 52 in 100, against 59 with 5..
38 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.3 pawns of advantage. It scores 51.9%; scores 59.0%.
Against , 4. is an inaccuracy: after the d6 pawn also guards e5, and the chance for 4. is gone. Play continues 5. 6. 7.: your knight chases the c5 bishop, but your opponent is already hitting e4 with the f-pawn. You score 49 in 100, against 60 with 4..
13 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 0.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 48.7%; scores 60.0%.
Against 4. , 5. is a mistake: it gives your bishop for the f7 pawn. After 6. 7. 8. material is level and your opponent can't castle, but their d5 and e4 pawns drive your knights back. At your level it goes unpunished: you score 50 in 100, more than the 40 you get with 5..
14 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 50.2%; scores 39.8%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 105,459 | ||
| Not castled | 38,369 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 28,910 |
| 26,773 | ||
| 22,452 | ||
| Not castled | 19,583 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 6 | ||
| 5 | ||
| Not castled | 4 | |
| 1 |
1. 2. 3. · 7,962 amateur games
hits e4 but leaves the f5 pawn undefended; you score 50 in 100.
1. 2. 3. · 3,794 amateur games · 7 over the board
readies the bishop for g7 and leaves e5 with a single defender; you score 54 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · C46
2,067 amateur games · White's score: 49.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C46
13 amateur games · White's score: 53.8%