Open games & French

King's Knight Opening

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3

The King's Knight Opening starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 and is catalogued under ECO C40, in the open games & french half of the book. The catalog indexes 3 lines inside it, grouped into 3 named variations, and the position after those moves has 4 playable continuations to walk from here.

Opening repertoire map

Root edges show how often each move is played around your Elo. Use the arrow on a position to reveal the next replies.

Current position
Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense
7 plies
Schliemann Defense, Exchange Variation
7 plies
Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack
7 plies
Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted
Popularity by Elo
Share of Lichess blitz, rapid, and classical games that continued with each move.
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Current setup

Move ideas

  1. 1.e4

    Claims the center with a pawn and opens lines for the queen and king’s bishop.

    Idea: Build quick development and make early castling possible.

  2. 1…e5

    Meets White’s center directly and opens lines for Black’s queen and bishop.

    Idea: Fight for equal central space in a balanced, open position.

  3. 2.Nf3

    Develops the king’s knight and attacks Black’s e5-pawn.

    Idea: Increase central pressure while getting ready to castle.

  4. 2…Nc6

    Defends e5 while developing the queen’s knight toward the center.

    Idea: Hold the central pawn and keep several classical setups available.

  5. 3.Bb5

    Develops the bishop and pressures the knight that helps defend e5.

    Idea: Create long-term pressure on Black’s center before deciding whether to exchange.

  6. 3…f5

    Advances the f-pawn to gain kingside space and control new squares.

    Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.

Book continuations

Waiting for Lichess game popularity.

4 moves
Nc3Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Dyckhoff Variation5 named lines · Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Kostić Defense · Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Möhring VariationDevelops the knight to c3, bringing it into the game.Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.Bxc6Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Exchange Variation1 named lineCaptures the knight on c6 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.d4Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Schönemann Attack1 named lineAdvances to d4 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.exf5Ruy Lopez: Schliemann Defense, Jaenisch Gambit Accepted1 named lineCaptures the pawn on f5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.Idea: Open lines in the kingside and reshape the center for the next phase.

Named variations

Each line below is an indexed entry under King's Knight Opening. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.

Openings from the same volume

ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the King's Knight Opening.