Scotch Game: the complete guide
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
Popularized by an Edinburgh-London correspondence match in 1824, dormant for a century, resurrected by Kasparov against Karpov in 1990. Since then the Scotch has been the sharp alternative to the Spanish at the very top.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. e4e4 occupies the center.
- ... e5e5 occupies the center.
- 2. Nf3Nf3 develops the knight and controls d4 and e5.
- ... Nc6Nc6 develops the knight and controls d4 and e5.
- 3. d4d4 strikes at the center.
Both sides plans
White's plan
The point of 3.d4 is not to win a pawn. You open the center while both kings are still there. After ...exd4, recapture with Nxd4, develop Nc3 and the c1-bishop, then castle. Your edge comes from space and active pieces, so avoid moving the queen repeatedly without a concrete reason.
Black's plan
Black should give up e5 with ...exd4, then attack the d4-knight with ...Nf6, ...Bc5 or ...Qf6. The goal is to complete development and play ...d5 to equalize. An early queen move is useful only when it creates a concrete threat against d4 or f2.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3... exd4 | 75 % | 83 % | 88 % | 92 % |
| 3... Nxd4 | 2 % | 2 % | 1 % | 1 % |
The main variations
- Scotch GameC441. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
- Scotch GameC441. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4
- Scotch GameC451. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4
- Classical VariationC451. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
- Steinitz VariationC451. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4
- Scotch GambitC441. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4
- Malaniuk VariationC451. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bb4+
- Schmidt VariationC451. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
- Lolli VariationC441. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4
- Steinitz VariationC451. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4
- Göring GambitC441. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3
- Modern DefenseC451. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the Scotch Game?
- The Scotch Game starts with 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the Scotch Game have?
- 53 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 3... exd4, played in 92% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the Scotch Game for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the Scotch Game are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
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