Three Knights Opening – Winawer Defense
Three Knights Opening
Definition
The Three Knights Opening is reached after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3. Each side has brought a knight to its most active classical square, but—unlike the more popular Four Knights Game—Black has not yet played …Nf6. Because only three knights are developed, the position keeps more tension and offers several independent systems before any forced transpositions occur.
Typical Move Orders
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 → transposes to the Four Knights Game.
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 g6 (Steinitz Variation).
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4 (Winawer Defense, treated separately below).
- 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 d6 (Old Indian-style set-up).
Strategic Ideas
Because the position is still flexible, plans revolve around:
- Central tension: White may play d4 in one move, or prepare it with Bc4 or Bb5.
- Piece play: Both bishops have open diagonals, so rapid development is rewarded.
- Transpositional possibilities: The opening can morph into the Four Knights, Scotch, Italian, or even the Vienna Game depending on how both players continue.
Historical Notes
The line was popular in the 19th century when players such as Adolf Anderssen, Paul Morphy, and Johannes Zukertort looked for fresh ways to avoid well-trodden king-pawn theory. It never became a primary weapon at top level, but it still serves as a surprise choice and an educational tool for developing an understanding of open-game themes.
Illustrative Mini-Game
(White scores a quick tactical win by exploiting central tension—an example of the sharp possibilities that can arise before a solid Four Knights transposition occurs.)
Trivia & Anecdotes
- The ECO code most commonly associated with the Three Knights Opening is C46.
- Because the opening can resemble the Vienna Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3) with an extra, better-placed knight on f3, some club-level teachers recommend it as a refinement for Vienna aficionados.
- Magnus Carlsen employed a Three Knights setup (via delayed Nc3) in rapid online events in 2020, winning crisp miniature attacks against strong grandmasters—proof that the system can still sting at the highest level.
Winawer Defense (in the Three Knights Opening)
Definition
The Winawer Defense of the Three Knights Opening arises after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Bb4. By pinning the c3-knight, Black immediately challenges White’s central ambitions and steers play away from the symmetrical Four Knights. The line is named after the Polish master Szymon Winawer (1838–1919), a pioneer of early …Bb4 ideas who also lent his name to the famous French-Defense Winawer Variation.
Key Ideas for Both Sides
- Black: The pin exerts indirect pressure on e4 and may double White’s c-pawns after …Bxc3. Black often follows with …Nf6 or …d6, keeping a compact centre while provoking weaknesses.
- White: Options include:
- 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4, striking in the centre.
- 4. Bc4, threatening d4 under more favourable circumstances.
- 4. Nd5 (the so-called Shift Maneuver), instantly attacking b4 and c7.
- The positions often echo the Spanish (Ruy Lopez) because the bishop pins a knight that defends the e-pawn, but piece placement is different enough to create fresh complexities.
Main Lines and Typical Plans
- 4. d4 exd4 5. Nxd4 Nf6
• White can choose 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3 d5, where Black trades structural purity for dynamic central play.
• Alternatively, 6. Bg5 leads to razor-sharp complications reminiscent of the Open Spanish. - 4. Bc4 Bxc3 5. dxc3 Nf6
• White accepts doubled c-pawns in return for the bishop pair and a semi-open d-file. - 4. Nd5 Nf6 5. Nxb4 Nxb4
• A tactical line in which material remains equal but minor-piece imbalances and weak squares decide the middlegame.
Historical Snapshot
Winawer first annotated the idea of …Bb4 against early Nc3 in a Vienna tournament of 1882, arguing that provocation of structural weaknesses outweighed loss of the two bishops. Although the 19th-century dogma favoured the bishop pair, Winawer’s practical successes encouraged later masters—most notably Akiba Rubinstein—to adopt the system.
Illustrative Game
Akiba Rubinstein – Carl Ahues, Berlin 1927. Ahues (Black) demonstrates how the Winawer bishop-pin restricts White’s center long enough to break through on the queenside.
Interesting Facts
- The ECO sub-code for the Winawer Defense of the Three Knights is C46 (a).
- Do not confuse this line with the French Defense, Winawer Variation (1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4). Both involve an early …Bb4, but they are completely different openings.
- Because 3…Bb4 sidesteps the well-analyzed Four Knights, modern grandmasters occasionally use it as a surprise weapon in rapid and blitz; Alexander Grischuk scored several online victories with it during the 2021 Champions Chess Tour.