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Scotch Game

ECO code
C44
Moves
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About the Scotch Game

The Scotch Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4) opens the center straight away instead of building up slowly as in the Ruy Lopez.

White gets free development and a central knight on d4. Black usually answers with 4...Bc5 or 4...Nf6, and the Scotch Gambit offers a sharper path for White.

Main ideas

For White

  • Open the center at once with 3. d4 and recapture with the knight, getting free piece play.
  • Against 4...Nf6 (the Schmidt Variation), push e5 with Nxc6 first (the Mieses Variation) and play for a space advantage.
  • Against 4...Bc5 (the Classical), challenge the bishop with Be3 or Nxc6 and Qf3 ideas.
  • The Scotch Gambit (4. Bc4) gives up the d4 pawn for fast development and pressure on f7.
  • In the Mieses Variation, follow e5 with c4 and Qe2 to keep Black's pieces out of play on the queenside.

For Black

  • Develop with tempo: ...Bc5 hits the d4 knight and ...Nf6 hits the e4 pawn.
  • Accept doubled c-pawns after Nxc6 bxc6: the half-open b-file, extra central control (...d5) and active bishops make up for them.
  • Strike with ...d5 to free the position when White over-presses.
  • In the Scotch Gambit, return the pawn in time and complete development rather than clinging to it.
  • Against the Mieses, ...Qe7 and ...Nb6 or ...Ba6 put pressure on White's c4 and e5 pawns.

Pawn structure

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 opens the center straight away. White keeps the e4 pawn against no black e-pawn, so White has a little more space; Black gets free development. After Nxc6 bxc6, Black's doubled c-pawns are a long-term trade-off against the half-open b-file and extra central control.

Traps and common mistakes

Grabbing e4 too early

In the Steinitz Variation (4...Qh4), grabbing the e4 pawn with 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Be2 Qxe4 7. Nb5 leaves Black's king stuck in the center, and White gets a strong attack. Black should finish developing before going after the pawn.

Neglecting f7 in the Scotch Gambit

After 4. Bc4, Ng5 ideas against f7 come quickly. Black's safest course is 4...Nf6, transposing to the Two Knights. After 4...Bc5 5. Ng5, Black answers 5...Nh6, and 6. Nxf7 Nxf7 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qh5+ g6 9. Qxc5 only regains the material.

Who should play the Scotch Game?

Players with White who want an open game and a clear plan against 1...e5 without learning the huge body of Ruy Lopez theory. It suits active players who like piece play and an early space advantage. Black players meet it often enough that knowing one solid line against it, such as the Classical with 4...Bc5 or the Schmidt with 4...Nf6, is worthwhile. The positions it leads to are clear and teach open-game principles well.

History

Named after a correspondence match between Edinburgh and London that began in 1824, in which the Edinburgh side played it. Garry Kasparov revived it at the top level in his 1990 world championship match against Anatoly Karpov, and it has stayed popular ever since.

Scotch Game statistics

The Scotch Game was reached in 175.4K master games (0.8% of all master games), and White scored 52% from there. On Lichess it comes up in 1.9% of games, most often among players rated 1001–1200 (2.7%).

Master games

175.4K

0.8% of games between players rated 2500+

Club games on Lichess

5M

1.9% of games between players rated up to 2400

White wins Draws Black wins

How often it comes up, by rating

  • 0–1000 2.0%
  • 1001–1200 2.7%
  • 1201–1400 2.7%
  • 1401–1600 2.3%
  • 1601–1800 1.9%
  • 1801–2000 1.4%
  • 2001–2200 1.0%
  • 2201–2400 0.8%

Most common next moves in master games

MoveGamesPlayedResults
3... exd4172.1K98%
3... d61,2790.7%
3... Nf66900.4%
3... d54260.2%
3... Nxd42160.1%

Famous players with the most games here

  • Daniel Naroditsky 409 games
  • Eric Rosen 390 games
  • Hikaru Nakamura 251 games
  • Ben Finegold 217 games
  • Dina Belenkaya 106 games
  • Chessbrah 104 games

Master games from the Chessmont database (CC BY-SA 4.0). Club games from the Lichess open database.

Main variations

  • Classical Variation

    C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5

    Black plays 4...Bc5, attacking the knight on d4 and developing quickly.

  • Schmidt Variation

    C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6

    Black plays 4...Nf6, attacking e4. After 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 the Mieses Variation leads to rich play.

  • Scotch Gambit

    C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4

    White plays Bc4 instead of retaking on d4, offering a pawn for quick development.

  • Mieses Variation

    C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5

    After 4...Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5, White gains space and Black's knight must move. It is the main line of the Schmidt Variation.

Related openings

  • Italian Game

    C50 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4

    The Italian Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4) aims the bishop at f7, Black's weakest square, and develops quickly towards castling.

  • Ruy Lopez

    C60 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5

    The Ruy Lopez, or Spanish Opening (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5), is one of the oldest and most deeply analyzed openings in chess.

  • Vienna Game

    C25 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nc3

    The Vienna Game (1. e4 e5 2. Nc3) develops the queen's knight first so White can follow up with f4.