ECO C44 · King's Knight Opening

King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6

abcdefgh87654321
White to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

3. Bb5+0.44

White is slightly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation (C44), reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6, Stockfish 18 recommends 3. Bb5 for White. White is slightly better (+0.44).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.443. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5
  2. +0.333. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bc4 O-O
  3. +0.303. Bc4 Nf6 4. d3 Bc5 5. O-O O-O 6. c3 d6 7. b4 Bb6

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation?
After 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 3. Bb5 for White, continuing a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. d4 b5 7. Bb3 d5. White is slightly better (+0.44). The next best moves are 3. d4 (+0.33) and 3. Bc4 (+0.30).
Is the King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.44: white is slightly better. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation?
C44. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; C is the volume for open games and the French Defense.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).