English Opening: King's English, Four Knights with 4.d4 — Black's Guide

This position is the starting point of the King's English Variation: Four Knights, 4.d4. With 4…exd4 you've traded a centre pawn but taken White out of symmetrical patterns. Lichess has recorded over one hundred thousand games from here, and the results are telling: White wins 50.8%, draws 4.8%, and Black wins 44.4%. Those numbers are remarkably close for a White-opening position — you are not under pressure. Your job now is to choose a setup that keeps the balance and lets your pieces develop naturally. The engine says the evaluation is dead level (-0.20), so trust your understanding of the middlegame ahead.

White's best move by a huge margin is 5.Nxd4, played in 106,542 of the 108,556 recorded games — the overwhelming majority by far. White scores 51.0% from here, which is just a whisker above average. Your reply is 5…Bb4, pinning the knight on c3 against the king. After 6.Bg5, Black castles with 6…O-O, and the engine gives a clean -0.20 evaluation. The resulting position has active development for both sides and no forced wins for anyone. This is a healthy, playable line where your king is safe, your pieces coordinate well, and you can aim for a typical English middlegame. The drill below will walk you through this exact sequence and let you practice the responses.

The good news: White has several tempting alternatives that are outright bad. If your opponent plays anything other than Nxd4, you gain a serious advantage instantly. Here are the three biggest offenders from the database: - 5.Nb5 (281 games, White scores 44.8%). This is a mistake — it loses about 1.4 pawns. Your knight on c6 covers key squares, and Nb5 wastes time. Develop and take the centre. - 5.Qxd4 (58 games, White scores 15.5%). This is a blunder losing roughly 5.2 pawns. You'll get a free tempo by attacking the queen, and White's position collapses. - 5.Bg5 (55 games, White scores 23.6%). Also a blunder, losing about 4.9 pawns. Pinning the knight is premature when the d4 pawn is still hanging. Simply recapture and enjoy the advantage. If White plays any of these, stay calm, develop with purpose, and you'll be better or winning.

The Four Knights variation with 4.d4 is a principled attempt by White to fight for the centre early. But the statistics speak for themselves: Black scores 44.4% across all games, and when White deviates from 5.Nxd4, Black's win rate climbs steeply. The positions that arise after 5.Nxd4 Bb4 6.Bg5 O-O are rich in strategic ideas, with active piece play and flexible pawn structures depending on White's choices. Because the evaluation is flat (only -0.20), you're not defending a bad position; you're playing a balanced game from move 5. If you know the responses, you can confidently match any White player, even at higher levels.

When you sit down to play Black in this line, your memory checklist is short: 1. After 4.d4, take with 4…exd4. 2. If White plays 5.Nxd4 (the only good move), reply 5…Bb4. 3. After 6.Bg5, castle 6…O-O. 4. If White plays anything else (Nb5, Qxd4, Bg5, e3), you're already better or winning — just develop sensibly and claim the advantage. Use the interactive drill below to practice the main line until it's automatic. The English Opening: King's English, Four Knights with 4.d4 is not a threat — it's an opportunity to outplay your opponent from equal ground.