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Three Knights Opening

5 variations · 14M games from Lichess · Updated January 2026

Key Finding

Three Knights Opening is balanced for White at 51.6% expected score.

This opening produces roughly even results, with outcomes depending more on middlegame play than opening choice.

You play
Playable
Rating
Time
White Expected Score0.0%Range (90% confident): 51.5% – 51.6%Aggregated from 5 variations
0%51.6%100%
Range (90% confident): 51.5% – 51.6%
ContextOverall · n=14M
Outcome Distribution
49.5%4.0%46.4%
Win
Draw
Loss
3...Bb4
Three Knights Opening
Variations5
Games (Context)14M
Avg Length33 moves
Draw Rate4.0%

What Should I Play?

Player-controlled continuations for White · Overall

#1Three Knights Opening: Steinitz-Rosenthal VariationTop Pick
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 g6 4.d4 exd4 5.Nd5
Min adv +8.7% · n=1.4K
56.5%
#2Three Knights Opening
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3
Min adv +3.2% · n=13M
51.6%

Continuations show the most common variations from this opening. Higher expected scores indicate better statistical outcomes, but familiarity and playstyle matter too.

What is the Three Knights Opening expected score for White?

Snapshot

Overall, the Three Knights Opening family has a 51.6% expected score for White (we're 90% confident it's between 51.5% and 51.6%), aggregated from 5 variations and 14M Lichess games.

White Win% by Rating

Improves with rating: 48% → 52%

0
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2500+

  • 0-999: 47.9% win rate (1,420,309 games)
  • 1000-1199: 49.5% win rate (2,126,463 games)
  • 1200-1399: 49.6% win rate (2,620,648 games)
  • 1400-1599: 49.3% win rate (2,731,997 games)
  • 1600-1799: 49.9% win rate (2,251,023 games)
  • 1800-1999: 50.0% win rate (1,462,405 games)
  • 2000-2199: 50.6% win rate (664,593 games)
  • 2200-2499: 51.4% win rate (264,750 games)
  • 2500+: 51.9% win rate (36,353 games)

White Win% by Time Control

Similar across time controls (~51%)

UltraBullet
Bullet
Blitz
Rapid
Classical

  • UltraBullet: 51.2% win rate (20,230 games)
  • Bullet: 49.8% win rate (4,234,818 games)
  • Blitz: 49.5% win rate (6,414,011 games)
  • Rapid: 49.3% win rate (2,809,173 games)
  • Classical: 48.3% win rate (100,309 games)

Rating vs Time Control Matrix

Click cells to filter · White expected scores

White% by Rating × Time Control

Click any cell to filter. Green = above 50%, Red = below 50%.

RatingUBBulleBlitzRapidClass
0-999
1000-1199
1200-1399
1400-1599
1600-1799
1800-1999
2000-2199
2200-2499
2500+

Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control

  • 0-999 rating, UltraBullet: 46.5% expected score (1,872 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Bullet: 48.9% expected score (314,481 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Blitz: 50.1% expected score (681,281 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Rapid: 50.6% expected score (419,206 games)
  • 0-999 rating, Classical: 47.9% expected score (3,469 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, UltraBullet: 49.1% expected score (3,354 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 50.9% expected score (515,799 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (1,029,865 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (565,437 games)
  • 1000-1199 rating, Classical: 50.4% expected score (12,008 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, UltraBullet: 51.0% expected score (4,385 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 51.2% expected score (671,222 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 51.6% expected score (1,272,017 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Rapid: 51.8% expected score (647,934 games)
  • 1200-1399 rating, Classical: 50.6% expected score (25,090 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, UltraBullet: 52.8% expected score (4,747 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 51.1% expected score (748,926 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 51.5% expected score (1,363,917 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 50.8% expected score (580,204 games)
  • 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 49.4% expected score (34,203 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, UltraBullet: 55.4% expected score (2,898 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (730,904 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 52.0% expected score (1,112,734 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 52.6% expected score (385,476 games)
  • 1600-1799 rating, Classical: 52.9% expected score (19,011 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, UltraBullet: 54.2% expected score (1,912 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 51.6% expected score (619,192 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 52.4% expected score (668,868 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 53.4% expected score (166,770 games)
  • 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 56.1% expected score (5,663 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, UltraBullet: 60.0% expected score (724 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 51.7% expected score (394,147 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 54.3% expected score (230,921 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 57.0% expected score (38,025 games)
  • 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 57.7% expected score (776 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, UltraBullet: 54.4% expected score (274 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 52.8% expected score (206,576 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 57.4% expected score (51,830 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 60.2% expected score (5,984 games)
  • 2200-2499 rating, Classical: 60.9% expected score (86 games)
  • 2500+ rating, UltraBullet: 60.0% expected score (64 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Bullet: 54.5% expected score (33,571 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Blitz: 58.7% expected score (2,578 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Rapid: 67.0% expected score (137 games)
  • 2500+ rating, Classical: 50.0% expected score (3 games)

Matrix view reveals how performance varies across rating brackets and time controls. Green indicates favorable, red indicates challenging contexts.

Variations (5)

1
Three Knights Opening: Steinitz-Rosenthal Variation1.4K games
56.5%
2
Three Knights Opening: Steinitz Defense195K games
52.4%
3
Three Knights Opening13M games
51.6%
Three Knights Opening: Schlechter Variation75K games
50.4%
Three Knights Opening: Winawer Defense519K games
49.6%
Analyze Three Knights Opening PositionsGet move-by-move win rates with the TrueElo analyzer

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Three Knights Opening win rate?

The Three Knights Opening family has a 49.5% (90% CI: 49.5%-49.6%) win rate for white, aggregated from 5 variations and 14M rated games from Lichess.

How many Three Knights Opening variations are there?

This analysis covers 5 Three Knights Opening variations with sufficient game data. Each variation has its own statistics page with detailed win rates by rating and time control.

At what rating does the Three Knights Opening perform best?

The Three Knights Opening family performs best at 2500+ Elo with a 51.9% win rate for white (36K games). Performance may vary by specific variation.

Is the Three Knights Opening better in blitz or rapid?

UltraBullet (51.2%) outperforms Classical (48.3%) by 2.9% across all Three Knights Opening variations.

How sharp is the Three Knights Opening?

Three Knights Opening games are 96.0% decisive (non-draws), with an average length of 33 moves. Sharpness varies by specific variation.

Is the Three Knights Opening a good opening family?

The Three Knights Opening family is statistically balanced overall with a 49.5% (90% CI: 49.5%-49.6%) aggregated win rate. However, win rates vary significantly between the 5 variations—explore individual lines to find the best fit for your style.