The Scotch Game: how to play it, and the mistakes players really make

The Scotch Game starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4. Instead of building up slowly like the Italian or the Ruy Lopez, White opens the center on move three. The position becomes open, the pieces come out quickly, and both sides know their plans early. Garry Kasparov brought it back into top-level chess in the 1990s, and it is a great choice at club level for exactly the same reason: it is easy to understand.

Is the Scotch Game good?

Yes. After 3.d4 Stockfish gives White a small edge (+0.13 at depth 24), the normal advantage of the first move: the opening is completely sound. Its real strength is practical: there is less theory to learn than in the Ruy Lopez, and the positions reward clear, active play.

Black’s best answer: 3...exd4

Black almost always takes: 3...exd4 4.Nxd4. Anything else is worse. 3...Nxd4 4.Nxd4 exd4 5.Qxd4 brings White’s queen to the center with a free hand (+0.67), and 3...d5 4.Nxe5 dxe4 gives up the e-pawn tension for nothing (+0.83). After 4.Nxd4, White has a knight in the center and open lines for the bishops. Black now chooses one of three main plans.

1. The Schmidt Variation: 4...Nf6

Black develops and attacks e4. The main line is 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4, the Mieses Variation: White gains space and kicks the knight, Black gets the bishop pair and a solid pawn mass. Stockfish calls 8...Ba6 dead equal (0.00). A quieter way for White is 5.Nc3, keeping the pieces on (+0.13).

2. The Classical Variation: 4...Bc5

Black puts the bishop on the strong diagonal at once and eyes the knight on d4. White has three good answers, all close to equal: 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Bc4 (+0.26), 5.Nb3 Bb6, which simply asks the bishop what it is doing (+0.20), or 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3 (+0.18). The plans are simple for both sides: castle, then fight for the d4 and e5 squares.

3. The Steinitz Variation: 4...Qh4

The queen comes out to attack e4 at once. It looks aggressive but it is the riskiest choice: after 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Be2 Qxe4 7.Nb5, White gives a pawn for a big lead in development and a direct attack on c7 (+0.67). Black has to know this line well to survive.

The gambits: 4.Bc4 and 4.c3

White does not have to take back on d4. The Scotch Gambit, 3...exd4 4.Bc4, develops first and aims at f7; the Göring Gambit, 4.c3, offers a pawn for fast development. Both are fun and dangerous at club level. With best play Black is fine (Stockfish gives about equal after 4.Bc4 and a tiny edge to Black after 4.c3 dxc3), so they work best against an opponent who does not know them.

Plans to remember

• White: develop fast, castle short, and use the half-open e-file and the e5 push. The e4-e5 advance often kicks a black knight on f6.
• Black: hit the knight on d4 and the pawn on e4, and break with ...d5 when it is safe. After Nxc6 bxc6, the pawns on c6 and d5 control the center.
• Both sides: count the defenders of e4 and e5 before every capture. In the Scotch, most early mistakes are a piece landing on a square nothing protects.

The traps players really fall into

We followed Lichess games in the Scotch, rating band by rating band, and had Stockfish check every position where many players took the same wrong turn. Three examples from games between players rated 600 to 800:

• 3...Nf6 4.dxe5 Nxe4 5.Bg5?: the bishop lands on a square the black knight controls, and 5...Nxg5 wins a piece. 5.Qe2 is the right move.
• 3...Bb4+ 4.c3 Ba5?: 5.d5! attacks the only defender of e5, and White wins a pawn. Only 11% of White players found it.
• 3...exd4 4.Ng5?: 4...Be7! hits the knight and covers f7. White should simply take back with 4.Nxd4.

Every rating band has its own mistakes. The articles below go through them one by one, with the move played, the move to play, and how often players get it wrong.

• Scotch Game traps: 6 mistakes at 600-800 Elo

Frequently asked questions