The King's Knight Opening is a

chess opening A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the "Sicilian Defens ...

consisting of the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 White's second move attacks the e-pawn. Black usually defends this with 2...Nc6, which leads to several named openings. Of the alternatives, the most important are

Petrov's Defense Petrov's Defence or the Petrov Defence (also called Petroff Defence, Petrov's Game, Russian Defence, or Russian Game – russian: Русская партия) is a chess opening characterised by the following moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nf6 Tho ...

(2...Nf6) and

Philidor's Defense The Philidor Defence (or Philidor's Defence) is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 d6 The opening is named after the famous 18th-century player François-André Danican Philidor, who advocated it as an alternative ...

(2...d6).

Main line: 2...Nc6

Most games (more than 80%) continue with 2...Nc6. Some moves from here include: * 3. Bb5:

Ruy Lopez The Ruy Lopez (; ), also called the Spanish Opening or Spanish Game, is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bb5 The Ruy Lopez is named after 16th-century Spanish priest Ruy López de Segura. It is one o ...

** 3...a6: Ruy Lopez, Morphy Defence (main line) ** 3...Nf6: Ruy Lopez, Berlin Defence ** 3...d6: Ruy Lopez, Steinitz Defence ** 3...f5: Ruy Lopez, Schliemann Defence ** 3...Bc5: Ruy Lopez, Classical Defence * 3. Bc4:

Italian Game The Italian Game is a family of chess openings beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 This opening is defined by the of the white bishop to c4 (the so-called ""), where it attacks Black's vulnerable f7-square. It is part ...

** 3...Bc5:

Giuoco Piano The Giuoco Piano (Italian: "Quiet Game"; ), also called the Italian Opening, is a chess opening beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 Bc5 "White aims to develop quickly – but so does Black. White can construct a pawn cen ...

** 3...Nf6:

Two Knights Defence The Two Knights Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Bc4 Nf6 First recorded by Giulio Cesare Polerio (c. 1550 – c. 1610) in the late 16th century, this line of the Italian Game was extensiv ...

** 3...d6:

Semi-Italian Opening The Semi-Italian Opening (also known as Half Giuoco Piano, Lesser Giuoco Piano, and Paris Defence) is one of Black's responses to the Italian Game.Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 365. Semi-Italian Opening.Kasparov & Keene (1982), pp. 308, 309. It begi ...

* 3. d4:

Scotch Game The Scotch Game, or Scotch Opening, is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. d4 Ercole del Rio, in his 1750 treatise ''Sopra il giuoco degli Scacchi, Osservazioni pratiche d’anonimo Autore Modenese'' ("On t ...

* 3. Nc3:

Three Knights Game The Three Knights Game is a chess opening which most commonly begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Nc3 In the Three Knights Game, Black chooses to break symmetry in order to avoid the main lines of what is often considered the ...

** 3...Nf6:

Four Knights Game The Four Knights Game is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. Nc3 Nf6 This is the most common sequence, but the knights may in any order to reach the same position. The opening is fairly popular with begin ...

** 3...g6: Three Knights Game (main) * 3. c3:

Ponziani Opening The Ponziani Opening is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Nc6 :3. c3 It is one of the oldest chess openings, having been discussed in the literature by 1497. It was advocated by Howard Staunton, generally conside ...

Other Black defenses

Of the alternatives, 2...Nf6 (Petrov's Defense) is considered fully respectable and is common in grandmaster games. Philidor's Defense is playable but is seen more rarely. * 2...Nf6:

(C42) * 2...d6:

(C41)

Less common defenses

A number of less popular continuations are possible. These openings are generally considered to be less sound than those mentioned above. These openings are all categorized in the '' ECO'' under code C40. * 2...f5:

Latvian Gambit The Latvian Gambit (or Greco Countergambit) is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 f5 It is one of the oldest chess openings, having been analysed in the 17th century by Gioachino Greco, after whom it is sometimes ...

* 2...d5:

Elephant Gambit The Elephant Gambit (also called the Queen's Pawn Countergambit or Englund Counterattack) is a rarely played chess opening beginning with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 d5 Although the Elephant Gambit is considered unsound, it has been used fr ...

* 2...Qe7:

Gunderam Defense The Gunderam Defense, also known as the Brazilian Defense or the Câmara Defense if followed by moves ...g6, ...Bg7 and ...Nf6, creating the typical King's Indian formation, is a rarely played chess opening starting with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. ...

* 2...f6:

Damiano Defence The Damiano Defence is a chess opening beginning with the moves: # e4 e5 # Nf3 f6? The defence is one of the oldest chess openings, with games dating back to the 16th century. It is a weak opening that gives a large advantage for White after 3. ...

* 2...Qf6:

Greco Defence The Greco Defence (or McConnell Defence), named after Gioachino Greco (c. 1600 – c. 1634), is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. e4 e5 :2. Nf3 Qf6 The opening is categorised by ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' as code C40. ...

References

* ''Batsford Chess Openings 2'' (1989, 1994). Garry Kasparov, Raymond Keene. .

External links

Analysis at Chessgames.com
{{Authority control Chess openings