Four Knights Game: Double Spanish, Metger & Unpin
Four Knights Game
Definition
The Four Knights Game is an open-game opening that begins 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6. Both sides have developed their king’s knight and queen’s knight, creating a perfectly balanced, harmonious position in which neither camp has yet committed to a specific pawn structure.
Typical Move-Order & Branches
- 1. e4 e5
- 2. Nf3 Nc6
- 3. Nc3 Nf6
- 4th move options for White
- 4. Bb5 – Spanish (a.k.a. Double Spanish or Metger) Variation
- 4. d4 – Scotch Four Knights
- 4. Bc4 – Italian Four Knights
- 4. g3 – Glek Variation
- 4. Nxe5 – Belgrade Gambit
Strategic Themes
- Harmony and quick castling. Four minor pieces appear on their most natural squares, allowing both sides to castle within the first five moves if desired.
- Central tension. Because White has not yet pushed d2–d4 (as in the Scotch) or c2–c3 (as in the Ruy Lopez), the e- and d-pawns remain locked in an almost classical central duo.
- Flexibility. Either player can head for quiet manoeuvring or sharp gambit play (Scotch and Belgrade lines).
Historical Significance
The opening reached the height of its popularity in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, showcased by masters such as Tarrasch, Capablanca and Rubinstein, who valued its solid yet dynamic nature. More recently it has been a reliable weapon for elite grandmasters like Magnus Carlsen and Levon Aronian when they wish to avoid the heavy theory of the Ruy Lopez or Italian.
Illustrative Mini-Game
[[Pgn| 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bb5 Bb4 5.O-O O-O 6.d3 d6 7.Bg5 Bxc3 8.bxc3 Ne7 9.Re1 Ng6 |fen||arrows|e4e5,g5f6|squares|e5,g5]]Both sides have completed development; the position is still roughly equal, but White enjoys the bishop pair and the semi-open b-file, whereas Black has a rock-solid structure free of immediate weaknesses.
Interesting Facts
- In the 2013 Candidates Tournament, Carlsen used the quiet 4.g3 Glek set-up to keep pressure on Grischuk, a critical half-point that eventually helped Carlsen win the event.
- The name “Four Knights” first appeared in 1869 annotations by Louis Paulsen, who celebrated the opening’s “symmetrical beauty.”
Double Spanish
Definition
The Double Spanish, also called the Spanish Four Knights or Symmetrical / Metger Variation, arises after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4. Both sides have deployed a bishop to the Ruy Lopez square (b5/b4), creating a mirror-image tension on the c-file.
Strategic Ideas
- Twin pins. Each bishop pins the opponent’s knight (Bb5→Nc6, Bb4→Nc3), which in turn defends e4/e5. Breaking or maintaining these pins dictates early plans (e.g., 5. O-O, 5. d3 or 5. Bxc6).
- Who owns the center? Because both e-pawns are still on the board, the first side to play d4 or d5 under favourable circumstances often seizes the initiative.
- Minor-piece imbalances. White may exchange on c6 to damage Black’s queenside pawn structure, while Black can reciprocate on c3, leaving each side with a pair of bishop-vs-knight decisions.
Common Continuations
- 5. O-O O-O – leading to a balanced maneuvering battle.
- 5. d3 d6 – both sides solidify the center; plans with Nh4/Nh5 targeting f5/f4 squares.
- 5. Bxc6 dxc6 6. O-O – White inflicts structural damage; Black plays for the two bishops.
Historic Example
Rubinstein – Spielmann, San Sebastián 1912 featured the line 5. Bxc6 dxc6. Rubinstein’s prophylactic style slowly squeezed small weaknesses until a winning rook endgame emerged—an early advertisement for the solidity of the Double Spanish for Black.
Trivia
- Because both players “play the Spanish,” the French press nicknamed it Espagnole doublée in the 1920s, literally “double Ruy Lopez.”
- Modern engines assess the starting position after 4…Bb4 as almost dead equal (≈0.10), yet human grands-masters still find rich, unbalanced middlegames.
Symmetrical (in Chess)
Definition
A symmetrical position is one in which the arrangement of pieces and, most crucially, the pawn structure of Black mirrors that of White. This can happen immediately (e.g., 1. c4 c5) or arise later through transposition.
How the Concept Is Used
- Opening characterisation. Lines such as the Symmetrical English (1. c4 c5) or the Symmetrical Grünfeld (d4 Nf6, c4 g6, Nf3 Bg7, g3 c5) inherit their names from the pawn mirror.
- Evaluation shorthand. Annotators often write “= (symmetrical pawn structure)” to imply that neither side possesses a structural advantage.
- Strategic trigger. Because perfectly symmetrical positions tend toward equality, masters look for ways to break the symmetry with timely pawn breaks (d4–d5, f2–f4, etc.).
Typical Plans in Symmetrical Structures
- Pawn Breaks. The first side to successfully execute a central or flank break obtains space and may seize the initiative.
- Piece Activity. Even if the pawns mirror each other, superior piece placement can create tangible advantages.
- Minor-piece trades. Trading pieces in a symmetrical structure often simplifies the position toward a draw; refusing trades keeps winning chances alive.
Example Position
After 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. g3 g6 4. Bg2 Bg7 5. O-O O-O the game is completely symmetrical. White commonly plays 6. d4 to disrupt the mirror, while Black may reply …cxd4 …d5 to retain balance.
Interesting Anecdote
In Kasparov – Deep Blue, 1997 (-Game 2), the computer deliberately chose a symmetrical Caro-Kann structure after 1. e4 c6, demonstrating that even “mere equality” could be valuable against a human genius if accompanied by flawless tactics.
Metger (Metger Variation)
Definition
The Metger Variation is an alternative name for the Double Spanish line of the Four Knights Game: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4. It is named after the German master Julius (often transliterated “Josef”) Metger (1850-1926), who analysed and popularised the setup in the late 19th century.
Why It Matters Strategically
- Metger’s early …Bb4 addresses the critical central tension by pinning the c3-knight, thereby holding the e5-pawn.
- The variation discourages the immediate Scotch-style d2-d4 break because the pawn would lose protection once the c3-knight is pinned.
- Black keeps the option of breaking symmetry later with …d5 or …Nxe4.
Representative Line
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 Bb4 5. O-O O-O 6. d3 d6 7. Bg5 Bxc3 8. bxc3 h6
Historical Nuggets
- Metger’s own analysis appeared in the German magazine Deutsche Schachzeitung in 1883, where he recommended …h6 followed by …Re8 to neutralize White’s light-squared bishop.
- World Champion Wilhelm Steinitz cited Metger’s games as evidence that “the Spanish bishop can be a double-edged sword,” praising the German’s strategic depth.
Unpin
Definition
To unpin is to remove or neutralize a pin—a tactical motif in which a piece cannot (or should not) move because it would expose a more valuable piece or the king. Unpinning restores full mobility to the pinned piece and often transforms the tactical landscape.
Methods of Unpinning
- Interposition. Placing a piece between the attacker and the pinned piece Example: 1. …Be7 in the Ruy Lopez breaks the pin on the f6-knight.
- Counter-attack. Attacking the pinning piece or a more valuable target Example: 1. …h6 2. Bh4 g5 chases away a pinning bishop on g5.
- King movement. Sidestepping with the king so that the pinned piece is no longer overshadowing it Example: 1. Kf2 to unpin a knight on f3 that was pinned against the queen.
- Exchange. Capturing the pinning piece directly Example: 1. Bxc6 in the Spanish Four Knights removes the pinning bishop on b5/b4.
Strategic Significance
- An unpinned piece can unleash hidden threats (e.g., discovered attacks or forks).
- A premature or careless unpin (such as weakening pawn pushes h6-g5) can leave enduring holes, particularly around the king.
- In endgames, unpinning often converts static disadvantage into dynamic equality.
Classic Illustration
Botvinnik – Alekhine, Nottingham 1936: After White pinned Black’s knight with Bg5, Alekhine played …h6, waited for Bxf6, recaptured with the queen, and then freed his game with …Be6 and …O-O-O. The precise sequence turned a potentially annoying pin into healthy piece activity—one of Alekhine’s favourite demonstrative themes.
Fun Fact
The phrase “to unpin with tempo” describes an unpinning move that simultaneously threatens the opponent, gaining time. Grandmaster commentary sometimes praises such moves as “two-purpose chess.”