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Learn the Scandinavian Defense with our free interactive trainer. Master the 3...Qa5 and 3...Qd6 main lines, the Modern Variation with 2...Nf6, and the key traps for Black against 1.e4. 9 chapters.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bg4
The Scandinavian Defense is one of the oldest recorded openings. Black undermines e4 and fights for the centre from the first move. White takes the pawn nine times out of ten, Black recaptures with the queen, and after 3.Nc3 the queen goes to a5. Black then develops with ...Nf6, ...c6 and ...Bg4.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. Nc3 Nxd5 4. Nxd5 Qxd5
Instead of recapturing with the queen Black can play 2...Nf6, the Modern Variation. White's most common moves are Nc3, d4 and c4. 3.c4 is a slight mistake because 3...c6 gives Black fast development. After 3.Nc3 Nxd5 4.Nxd5 Qxd5 the queen sits in the centre with no knight left to drive it away.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 ...
3...Qd6 is the Gubinsky-Melts Defense. The queen stays on the d-file and keeps the pressure there. Black follows with ...Nf6, ...a6 to stop Nb5, ...Bg4 and ...Nc6, and then castles queenside.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. d4 Bg4 5. Be2 Nc6
3.Nf3 is the Kingside Knight Variation. White develops instead of chasing the queen at once, and may later kick it with c4, a square the light-squared bishop covers. Black develops with ...Nf6 and ...Bg4, pinning the knight, and White usually breaks the pin with Be2.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 e6 3. dxe6 Bxe6
The Boehnke Gambit is a gambit for Black. After 2.exd5 Black offers a second pawn with 2...e6, and 3.dxe6 Bxe6 gives Black fast development in return. 2...e5 could also work, since White can only take en passant, but ...e6 is the move that forces the capture.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Ne5 Nbd7 ...
This chapter looks at the Qd6 line from White's side. White must take on d5; anything else lets Black equalise at the very least. White develops with d4 and Nf3 and then plays 6.Ne5, a move that only works because Black has not played ...Bg4. After 6...Nbd7 the knight drops back to c4 and hits the queen, though White's own kingside is still wide open.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5 5. dxe5 Bb4 6. Bd2 Nc6 ...
A collection of tactical points in the 3...Qa5 line. 3...Qc6 loses the queen to 4.Bb5. In the 4...Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5 line Black must remember ...c6 as an escape route for the queen, which can otherwise end up stuck on a1, and White's 8.Nd5 is a discovered attack to watch for. The main line is a sharp sequence that is worth playing through with its variations.
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bf5 6. Bd2 c6 ...
A full game in the 3...Qa5 line. White castles queenside and trades off Black's light-squared bishop with Nh4 and Nxg6, Black castles long as well, and a long queen-and-rook middlegame ends in a drawn king-and-pawn ending after 54 moves.
1. e4 Nf6 2. Nc3 d5 3. exd5 Nxd5 4. Nxd5 Qxd5 5. Qf3 e6 6. Qxd5 exd5 ...
This game reaches the Modern Variation by transposition: 1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.exd5 Nxd5. White trades queens early with Qf3 and Qxd5, Black's king walks to d6 to connect the rooks, and Black's queenside pawns decide the rook ending.