B01
Scandinavian Defense
1. e4 d5
In the Scandinavian Defense, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.
The Scandinavian Defense is a chess opening classified under ECO code B01. It is reached after the moves 1. e4 d5: 2 moves in, with White to play.
Learn its typical plans and pawn structures rather than memorizing moves — that’s what holds up over the board.
Dozens of named variations branch from this position; the list at the end of the page goes one move deeper into each.
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Analyze my games free →Variations of the Scandinavian Defense
- Mieses-Kotroc1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5
- Anderssen Counterattack1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5
- Anderssen Counterattack, Collijn Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4
- Anderssen Counterattack, Goteborg System1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5 5. Nf3
- Anderssen Counterattack, Orthodox Attack1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5 5. dxe5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. Bd2
- Blackburne Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6 3. dxc6 Nxc6
- Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6
- Boehnke Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 e5 3. dxe6 Bxe6
- Bronstein Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6
- Classical Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5
- Gruenfeld Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Ne5 c6 7. g4
- Gubinsky-Melts Defense1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6
- Icelandic-Palme Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 e6
- Kiel Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. c4 Nb4
- Kloosterboer Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6 3. dxc6 e5
- Kadas Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 c6 4. dxc6 e5
- Lasker Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4 6. h3
- Main Line1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5
- Main Line, Leonhardt Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. b4
- Main Line, Mieses Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6
- Marshall Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5
- Mieses-Kotroc Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5
- Modern Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6
- Modern Variation, Gipslis Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. Nf3 Bg4
- Modern Variation, Wing Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 g6 4. c4 b5
- Panov Transfer1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 c6
- Portuguese Gambit1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4
- Portuguese Gambit, Banker Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 Bf5 5. c4
- Portuguese Gambit, Classical Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Nf3
- Portuguese Gambit, Correspondence Refutation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 Bf5 5. g4
- Portuguese Gambit, Elbow Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Bb5+ c6
- Portuguese Gambit, Jadoul Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 Bf5 5. Bb5+ Nbd7 6. c4
- Portuguese Gambit, Lusophobe Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Bb5+ Nbd7 5. Be2
- Portuguese Gambit, Melbourne Shuffle Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 Bf5 5. Bb5+ Nbd7 6. Nc3
- Portuguese Gambit, Wuss Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Be2
- Richter Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. Nf3 g6
- Schiller-Pytel Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 c6
- Schiller-Pytel Variation, Modern Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 c6 6. Nge2 Bf5 7. Bf4 Qb4
- Valencian Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8
- Valencian Variation, Ilundain Variation1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6
Related openings
Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-KotrocScandinavian DefenseScandinavian Defense: Anderssen CounterattackScandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Collijn VariationScandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Goteborg SystemScandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Orthodox AttackScandinavian Defense: Blackburne GambitScandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer GambitScandinavian Defense: Boehnke GambitScandinavian Defense: Bronstein Variation