C44
Scotch Game
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
In the Scotch Game, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.
The Scotch Game is a chess opening classified under ECO code C44. It is reached after the moves 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4: 5 moves in, with Black 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 Scotch Game
- Benima Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d4 exd4
- Cochrane Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Ba5 7. e5
- Cochrane-Shumov Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. Nxf7 Nxf7 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qh5+ g6 9. Qxc5 d5
- Goring Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3
- Goring Gambit, Bardeleben Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4 Nf6 6. Nxc3 Bb4
- Goring Gambit, Double Pawn Sacrifice1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4
- Goring Gambit, Main Line1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 Bb4
- Hanneken Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 6. O-O cxb2 7. Bxb2 Nf6 8. Ng5 O-O 9. e5 Nxe5
- Haxo Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5
- Lolli Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Qxd4
- Napoleon Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Bc4
- Relfsson Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bb5
- Scotch Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4
- Scotch Gambit, Advance Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5
- Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. O-O d6 6. c3 Bg4
- Scotch Gambit, Dubois Reti Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4
- Scotch Gambit, Goring Gambit Declined1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 d5
- Scotch Gambit, Kingside Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 Ng4
- Scotch Gambit, London Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+
- Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5
- Sea-Cadet Mate1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 d6 6. Bc4 Bg4 7. O-O Ne5 8. Nxe5 Bxd1 9. Bxf7+ Ke7 10. Nd5#
- Vitzthum Attack1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. Qh5
- Alekhine Gambit1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. e5
- Blumenfeld Attack1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. Nb5
- Braune Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Be3
- Classical Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
- Classical Variation, Blackburne Attack1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Qd2
- Classical Variation, Intermezzo Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6
- Classical Variation, Millennium Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6
- Fraser Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nf3
- Ghulam-Kassim Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 d6 6. Bd3
- Gottschall Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Qd2 d5 8. Nb5 Bxe3 9. Qxe3 O-O 10. Nxc7 Rb8 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Nb4
- Horwitz Attack1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5
- Horwitz Attack, Blackburne Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Kd8 8. O-O Bxd2 9. Qxd2
- Malaniuk Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bb4+
- Meitner Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Nc2
- Mieses Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5
- Modern Defense1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nc3 Bb4
- Paulsen Attack1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bb5
- Paulsen Variation1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nf5
Related openings
Scotch GameDresden Opening: The GoblinIrish GambitKing's Knight Opening: KonstantinopolskyKing's Knight Opening: Normal VariationKing's Pawn Game: Dresden OpeningKing's Pawn Game: Pachman Wing GambitKing's Pawn Game: Schulze-Muller GambitKing's Pawn Game: Tayler OpeningKing's Pawn Game: Tayler Opening, Basman Gambit