English Opening: Four Knights System — Nimzowitsch Variation
English Opening: Four Knights System
Definition
The English Opening: Four Knights System arises after the moves 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6. Both sides develop their king’s knight and queen’s knight early, creating the symmetrical “Four Knights” formation. It is catalogued in ECO as A28-A29 and is one of the most classical ways to meet the English Opening.
Typical Move-Order
The system can be reached through several transpositions:
- 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 (main line)
- 1. c4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6
- 1. Nf3 Nf6 2. c4 c5 3. Nc3 Nc6 4. g3 e5 (via Réti move order)
Strategic Ideas
- Central Tension: With …e5 already played, Black fights for the center immediately, contrasting the more sedate Symmetrical English.
- Flexibility for White: White may choose between quiet fianchetto plans (g3, Bg2, d3) or sharper central strikes with d4 (transposing to Open Sicilian-type structures).
- Piece Play: Early development of four knights means both sides
must pay attention to move-order nuances; tempi count.
Example: 4. d4?! exd4 5. Nxd4 Bb4 pins a knight and gives Black easy play.
Historical Background
The system became popular at the turn of the 20th century among British masters (Gunsberg, Blackburne) and was later refined by grandmasters such as Mikhail Botvinnik and Ulf Andersson. Its enduring appeal lies in the balance between solidity and latent aggression.
Illustrative Game
Botvinnik – Bronstein, Moscow 1951 (Candidates) featured the classical fianchetto plan and showed how a slow space-gain on the queenside can suffocate Black’s counterplay.
Interesting Facts
- The Four Knights setup can transpose to a variety of other openings, including the King’s English, the Sicilian Four Knights, or even certain Spanish (Ruy López) structures.
- Because the pawns remain flexible, engines often evaluate the starting position around 0.00, but practical results are decisively skewed toward the better prepared player.
- Aron Nimzowitsch’s writings praised the latent energy of the fianchetto plan in this system, leading to the naming of the “Nimzowitsch Variation” (see next entry).
Nimzowitsch Variation of the English Four Knights
Definition
Within the Four Knights System, the Nimzowitsch Variation starts after 1. c4 e5 2. Nc3 Nf6 3. Nf3 Nc6 4. g3 d5. Named for the hyper-modern thinker Aron Nimzowitsch, the line introduces an immediate central break by Black, challenging White’s fianchetto before it is fully set up.
Main Line Continuation
The most common sequence continues 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6 7. O-O Be7. Both sides complete development, but the pawn structure has been clarified:
- White enjoys a half-open c-file and slightly more space on the kingside.
- Black has exchanged a central pawn and aims for piece activity on the dark squares (…Be6, …Qd7, …O-O-O in some lines).
Strategic Themes
- Dark-Square Control: …d5 liberates Black’s dark-squared bishop and contests e4.
- Queenside vs. Kingside Plans: White often presses on the queenside with Rb1, b4, and a later b5, while Black looks for central counterplay or a kingside expansion with …f5.
- Minor-Piece Imbalances: The early …Nb6 retreats leave Black’s knight slightly misplaced but keep tactical options such as …Be6-h3 in the air.
Historical & Practical Significance
Although less common at club level than lines without …d5, the Nimzowitsch Variation has been adopted by top grandmasters seeking dynamic equality. Notable practitioners include Magnus Carlsen (Wijk aan Zee 2012) and Anthony Miles, whose legendary win against Karpov began with this very structure—though it transposed to a King’s Indian.
Model Game
Carlsen – Aronian, Bilbao Masters 2012
Traps & Tactics
- If White tries 5. d4!? exd4 6. Nxd4 Nxd4 7. Qxd4 Bb4 (Black pins the knight and threatens …Be6), Black obtains comfortable play.
- After 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. Bg2 Nb6, careless 7. d3? allows 7…Be7 8. O-O O-O and the freeing break …f5 is coming rapidly.
Interesting Anecdotes
- Aron Nimzowitsch used the early …d5 idea as early as 1926 against Spielmann, proclaiming that “the center must be restrained and then destroyed.”
- Because it can transpose to a reversed Grünfeld, some databases cross-index the line under both A29 and D02.
- In online blitz, engines rate the starting position of the Nimzowitsch Variation at approximately 0.10 in Black’s favor, making it a popular surprise weapon.