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Three Knights Game
The Three Knights Game is a chess opening which most commonly begins with the moves: In the Three Knights Game, Black chooses to break symmetry in order to avoid the main lines of what is often considered the drawish Four Knights Game after the usual 3...Nf6. The relevant ECO code is C46. Black's third moveAfter tries such as 3...d6 or 3...Be7, White can play 4.d4, leaving Black with a cramped position resembling Philidor's Defense. If Black plays 3...Bc5 instead, White can eliminate Black's outpost at e5: 4.Nxe5! Nxe5 5.d4 Bd6 6.dxe5 Bxe5. Since tournament praxis shows the line seems to favor White, Black usually plays 3...Bb4 or 3...g6, the Steinitz Defense. Continuations then are typically 3...Bb4 4.Nd5 and 3...g6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5. Another alternative for Black is 3...f5!? – the Winawer Defense (or Gothic Defense). Then 4.Bb5 transposes into the Schliemann variation of the Ruy Lopez with 4.Nc3. The Three Knights is almost never seen at master level nowadays, as Black players have sought more active tries, even within the Four Knights. Reversed knight positionThe similar position with Black having moved ...Nf6 is called Petrov's Three Knights Game, although it too usually leads to the Four Knights Game. Example game
See alsoReferences The Wikibook Chess Opening Theory has a page on the topic of: Three Knights Opening
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