Openings
Scotch Game Chess Opening Guide for Club Players
The Scotch Game is a great opening for club players. It shows up far less at the top level than the Ruy Lopez or the Italian Game, yet world champion Garry Kasparov reached for it more than once and used it to beat Anatoly Karpov.
Here is what this guide covers.
- What the Scotch Game actually is.
- The main lines of the Scotch Game.
- How Garry Kasparov used the Scotch Game against Karpov.
- The Scotch Gambit.
What Is the Scotch Game?
The Scotch Game, sometimes called the Scotch Opening, starts with the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4.
The center opens up right away. One of the big questions in the Scotch Game is whether White manages to make the most of the extra space, or whether the pawn on e4 ends up being a weakness. Trading everything off on d4, for instance, is not a great plan for Black.
The white queen sits very well in the middle of the board here. It is hard to chase away, and Black struggles to get pieces out comfortably.
Another idea for Black is to hold on to the e5 pawn with 3...d6.
Unfortunately this runs straight into a problem. White plays 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+.
Black now has an unpleasant choice. Recapturing with the knight, 5...Nxd8, drops the e5 pawn. Recapturing with the king, 5...Kxd8, keeps the pawn but gives up castling rights for good. Neither option is much fun, which is exactly why the main lines of the Scotch Game start with capturing on d4 instead, followed by developing a piece.
How to Play the Scotch Game: The Main Lines
Both main lines of the Scotch Game begin with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4.
The Scotch Game with 4...Bc5 (Classical Variation)
The first try is the tricky 4...Bc5.
Black has a trick in mind. If White swaps knights with Nxc6, Black answers with Qf6.
That is a double attack. The bishop on c5 and the queen on f6 combine to threaten mate on f2, and while White is busy parrying that mate, Black quietly takes the knight on c6 with the queen. Recapturing with the queen instead of a pawn is what keeps Black from ending up with doubled pawns. Because of this, White usually avoids capturing on c6 at all. The two common tries are pulling the knight back with Nb3 for a quieter game, or holding the knight on d4 and playing Be3 for a sharper, more tactical fight. Which one suits you comes down to your own style.
The Scotch Game with 4...Nf6 (Mieses Variation)
A second, riskier option with an excellent reputation is 4...Nf6.
Black accepts doubled pawns but immediately leans on the e4 pawn. Play typically continues 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4.
Notice that Black recaptures toward the center on move five. That follows a general rule of thumb. When you have the choice, bringing a pawn toward the center usually beats the alternative. The move 6...Qe7 matters too, since it pressures the e-pawn and forces White to spend a tempo defending it, which slows White's development. From the position above, Black is doing fine after natural moves like 8...Ba6 or 8...Nb6.
The Scotch Game with 4...Qh4 (Steinitz Variation)
There is also a fun little sideline of the Scotch Game. 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Qh4.
Black's idea is to combine a Scholar's Mate-style threat after ...Bc5 with pressure on the e4 pawn. Games in this line get sharp very quickly. As White, do not get attached to the e4 pawn. Finish developing instead, for example with 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Be2. If the queen grabs the e4 pawn after the trade on c3, White simply castles and looks to cash in on the lead in development.
Kasparov's Scotch Game Wins Against Karpov
Here is the famous game Kasparov won against Karpov during their 1990 World Championship match, played in Lyon. Play through the moves below.
Starting position
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
- 15.
- 16.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
- 22.
- 23.
- 24.
- 25.
- 26.
- 27.
- 28.
- 29.
- 30.
- 31.
- 32.
- 33.
- 34.
- 35.
- 36.
- 37.
- 38.
- 39.
- 40.
- 41.
- 42.
- 43.
- 44.
- 45.
- 46.
- 47.
- 48.
- 49.
- 50.
- 51.
- 52.
- 53.
- 54.
- 55.
- 56.
- 57.
- 58.
- 59.
- 60.
- 61.
- 62.
- 63.
- 64.
- 65.
- 66.
- 67.
- 68.
- 69.
- 70.
- 71.
- 72.
- 73.
- 74.
- 75.
- 76.
- 77.
- 78.
- 79.
- 80.
- 81.
- 82.
- 83.
- 84.
- 85.
- 86.
- 87.
- 88.
- 89.
- 90.
- 91.
- 92.
- 93.
- 94.
- 95.
- 96.
- 97.
- 98.
- 99.
- 100.
- 101.
- 102.
- 1-0
That was not the only time Kasparov used the Scotch Game to good effect against the same opponent. Here is another win against Karpov, this time at the Tilburg tournament in 1991.
Starting position
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
- 10.
- 11.
- 12.
- 13.
- 14.
- 15.
- 16.
- 17.
- 18.
- 19.
- 20.
- 21.
- 22.
- 23.
- 24.
- 25.
- 26.
- 27.
- 28.
- 29.
- 30.
- 31.
- 32.
- 33.
- 34.
- 35.
- 36.
- 37.
- 38.
- 39.
- 40.
- 41.
- 42.
- 43.
- 44.
- 1-0
Both games show that the Scotch Game can carry you to the win even at the very top of chess.
The Scotch Gambit
A gambit is giving up a pawn in exchange for a positional edge. Chess players like gambits for a few reasons. They tend to be aggressive lines that catch an opponent off guard, which is a psychological edge in itself. They also tend to hand the side offering the pawn a lead in development and extra control of the center.
That brings us to the Scotch Gambit, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4.
White rushes pieces out to active squares here, aiming to castle quickly and get straight into the attack. One typical follow-up is c3, inviting Black to capture on c3 so White can recapture with the knight and finish development with every piece well placed.
Do not confuse the two. The Scotch Game and the Scotch Gambit share the same first moves, but they are genuinely different openings with opposite intentions. The Scotch Game aims for a sound, healthy position where White quietly leans on the extra space. The Scotch Gambit gives up a pawn on move four to rip the position open and attack right away.
Scotch Game FAQ
What is the Scotch Game in chess?
It is an open game that starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4. White breaks open the center immediately to develop pieces fast. The name comes from a correspondence match played between the Edinburgh and London chess clubs in the early 19th century. It is a sound opening, easier to handle than its reputation suggests.
Is the Scotch Game good for beginners?
Yes, it is a strong choice for a beginner playing White. The plans are clear, the position opens up, and pieces come out quickly, which avoids the cramped, closed positions that are hard to handle when you are still learning.
What is the difference between the Scotch Game and the Scotch Gambit?
Both start with the same moves, but the intention changes on White's fourth move. In the Scotch Game, White recaptures the pawn on d4 with the knight and plays a sound game built on the extra space. In the Scotch Gambit, White plays 4.Bc4 and leaves the d4 pawn to develop pieces fast and attack. The Scotch Game is balanced, the Scotch Gambit is far more aggressive.
What are the main lines of the Scotch Game?
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4, Black has two main answers. The first is 4...Bc5, which sets up a double threat if White captures on c6. The second is 4...Nf6, riskier but well regarded, which immediately pressures the e4 pawn. There is also the fun sideline 4...Qh4, which is rarer.
Is the Scotch Game played at a high level?
Yes, even though it shows up less often than the Ruy Lopez or the Italian Game. Garry Kasparov used it with real success, including during his World Championship match against Anatoly Karpov in Lyon in 1990. It is a perfectly sound opening that can win games at the very highest level.
How should Black meet the Scotch Game?
Black's main plan is to capture on d4 with 3...exd4 and then develop a piece. The two main choices are 4...Bc5 and 4...Nf6, both fully playable. Avoid trading everything off in the center too early, since that puts the white queen on a great square and slows Black's development.
Test Your Scotch Game Knowledge
Four quick questions to see how much of this has stuck.
Your Move
That was our guide to the Scotch Game. We hope it helps you win a few games with it. If you would like to keep exploring, here are a few good next steps.
- Browse our overview of the main chess openings to see where the Scotch Game fits in.
- Learn the Italian Game, one of the classic ways to meet
1...e5with White. - Discover the Ruy Lopez, the other great classical answer to
1...e5and the main rival to the Scotch Game at the top level.
Thanks for reading our article on the Scotch Game. We hope you enjoyed it. Feel free to share it if you did.