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

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4

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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.

The Scotch Game after 3.d4: White hits e5 at once.

Is the Scotch Game good?

Yes. Stockfish gives White a small edge, 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.

The Scotch Game from the first move to the main position.

Black’s best answer: 3...exd4

Black almost always takes on d4, and White takes back with the knight. The other replies are worse: trading knights on d4 lets White’s queen take the center, and 3...d5 simply loses time. After 4.Nxd4, White has a knight in the center and open lines for the bishops. Black now chooses one of three plans.

1. The Schmidt Variation: 4...Nf6

Black develops and attacks e4. In the main line, the Mieses Variation, White trades on c6 and pushes e5 to kick the knight, then chases it again with c4. White gains space; Black gets a solid pawn mass and the half-open b-file. With 8...Ba6 the game is level. A quieter way for White is 5.Nc3, keeping the pieces on.

The Mieses Variation, the main line of 4...Nf6.

2. The Classical Variation: 4...Bc5

Black puts the bishop on the strong diagonal at once and eyes the knight on d4. White’s main answer is to guard the knight with Be3 and c3, then develop with Bc4. 5.Nb3, which simply asks the bishop where it is going, and 5.Nxc6 are also good. In every line the game stays close to equal, and the plans are simple: castle, then fight for the d4 and e5 squares.

The Classical Variation: White guards d4, then develops.

3. The Steinitz Variation: 4...Qh4

The queen comes out to attack e4 at once. It looks aggressive but it is the riskiest choice. White can let the pawn go: after Nc3, Be2 and Nb5, the knight hits c7 and White is far ahead in development, with a clear edge for Stockfish. Black has to know this line well to survive.

The Steinitz Variation: Black wins a pawn, White gets the attack.

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, 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.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Scotch Game good for beginners?

Yes. White opens the center on move three, so the plans are clear and there is less theory to learn than in the Ruy Lopez. It also teaches the basic ideas of open positions: fast development, open files and tactics on e4 and e5.

What is the best reply to the Scotch Game?

Take the pawn: 3...exd4 4.Nxd4, then 4...Nf6 or 4...Bc5. Both are close to equal according to Stockfish. Avoid 3...Nxd4 and 3...d5, which give White an easy advantage.

What is the difference between the Scotch Game and the Scotch Gambit?

In the Scotch Game White takes back on d4 at once with 4.Nxd4. In the Scotch Gambit White plays 4.Bc4 first, leaving the pawn on d4 for a while to develop faster and aim at f7.

Scotch Game or Italian Game?

Both start 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6. The Italian (3.Bc4) builds up slowly and keeps the tension; the Scotch (3.d4) opens the center at once. Choose the Scotch if you like open positions and simple plans.

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