Scandinavian: the complete guide
1. e4 d5
The Scandinavian is the opening of the oldest recorded game in history, in a Valencia poem from around 1475. Challenge e4 on move one, liquidate the center, and play one structure you know by heart: Larsen even used it to beat Karpov in 1979.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. e4e4 occupies the center.
- ... d5d5 strikes at the center.
Both sides plans
White's plan
Capture on d5 and gain tempi on the black queen: Nc3, d4, Nf3, developing with threats. White's edge is a lasting lead in development, to be converted before Black's structure settles in.
Black's plan
...d5 liquidates the white center at once: no endless theory, one standard structure (c6, e6, Bf5) and a single plan to know by heart. The queen retreats to d6 or a5 and Black plays for solidity.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. e4 d5, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2... Qxd5 | 52 % | 52 % | 50 % | 46 % |
| 2... Nf6 | 11 % | 17 % | 22 % | 28 % |
| 2... c6 | 2 % | 3 % | 4 % | 5 % |
The main variations
- Scandinavian DefenseB011. e4 d5
- Modern VariationB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6
- Modern VariationB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4
- Mieses-Kotroc VariationB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5
- Portuguese GambitB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4
- Main LineB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5
- Gubinsky-Melts DefenseB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6
- Marshall VariationB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5
- Anderssen CounterattackB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5
- Main Line, Mieses VariationB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6
- Valencian VariationB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8
- Blackburne-Kloosterboer GambitB011. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the Scandinavian?
- The Scandinavian starts with 1. e4 d5. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the Scandinavian have?
- 45 named variations, from the Lichess ECO database. The main ones are listed on this page; the full tree lives in the branch map.
- What is the most played continuation?
- Around 2000 Elo, the most frequent continuation is 2... Qxd5, played in 46% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the Scandinavian for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the Scandinavian are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
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