Scandinavian Defence: free opening course
Black hits e4 at once with 1...d5 and, after 2.exd5, recaptures with the queen or (in the Marshall and Portuguese lines) with a knight. Black gets easy development, a solid c6-e6 structure and simple plans, at the cost of a little time spent with the queen.
Key ideas
- After ...Qxd5 and Nc3, put the queen on a5 or d6 where it is safe, then develop quickly: ...Nf6, ...c6, ...Bf5 (or ...Bg4) and ...e6.
- Get the light-squared bishop out BEFORE playing ...e6, exactly as in the Caro-Kann.
- Watch out for discovered attacks on the queen: with the queen on a5 and White's bishop on d2, any jump of the c3 knight hits the queen.
- Build the solid c6-e6 pawn wedge and castle long or short depending on White's setup; ...Bb4 and ...Nbd7 are typical.
- In the 2...Nf6 lines, use quick piece pressure on d4 (...Bg4, ...Nc6, ...Bg7) and gambit play with ...e6 if White clings to the d5 pawn.
The 4 variations in the course
- Main line 3...Qa5: 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 … — The classical Scandinavian: the queen goes to a5, Black develops with ...Nf6, ...c6, ...Bf5, ...e6 and ...Bb4, and keeps a very solid position against White's free development.
- Modern 3...Qd6: 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 6. g3 Bg4 … — Black puts the queen on d6, where it watches the centre and the kingside. With ...a6 Black stops Nb5 and Bb5 tricks, then develops ...Bg4, ...Nc6 and castles long.
- Marshall Variation 2...Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5: 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. c4 Nb6 5. Nf3 g6 6. Nc3 Bg7 … — Black recaptures with the knight instead of the queen. After 4.c4 Nb6 White has a big centre; Black fianchettoes with ...g6 and ...Bg7, castles and hits the centre with ...Nc6 and ...e5.
- Portuguese Variation 3...Bg4: 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. f3 Bf5 5. c4 e6 6. dxe6 Nc6 … — Black ignores the d5 pawn and develops with 3...Bg4. After 4.f3 Bf5 5.c4 Black offers the e-pawn with ...e6, ...Nc6 and gets a dangerous lead in development.
Traps you will learn (2)
- Warning: Nd5 and the discovered attack on a5 — A warning for Scandinavian players. With Black's queen on a5 and White's bishop on d2, the jump Nd5 uncovers an attack on the queen. If Black takes the knight, Bxa5 wins the queen. The correct reply is 8...Qd8.
- Qd6 line: Bf4?? Qxf4 — In the 3...Qd6 line White often wants to play Bf4 to hit the queen. But when nothing defends f4, the queen on d6 simply takes the bishop along the d6-f4 diagonal.
How the opening courses work
Each course teaches an opening in a few main variations. For every move you read why it is played, which other moves are good, and which tempting moves are mistakes and why. Each course also shows the traps of the opening: the ones you can set and the ones to avoid.
After a lesson you play the moves yourself in a drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them (spaced repetition). 30 line courses add many short lines per opening, a few new ones a day, and every named opening, more than 3,800 lines, has a lesson of its own.
Questions and answers
Is the Scandinavian Defence course free?
Yes. The Scandinavian Defence course on chessGM is free, with all 4 variations, 2 traps, the drills and the review. There is no paid plan that unlocks more.
Who is the Scandinavian Defence course for?
It is a course at beginner level for Black, written for players rated around 1000.
How do I practise this opening?
After each lesson, play the moves yourself in the drill. The lines you learn go into your review, which brings them back when you are about to forget them, and you can try the opening in games against the bots.