Scandinavian Defense

Scandinavian Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code B01. It goes 1. e4 d5. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 2 moves it is White to move. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.

The moves

• 1. e4 – White plays the pawn to e4
• 1... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 2. exd5.

About the Scandinavian Defense

Black hits e4 immediately with 1...d5. After 2.exd5 Black takes back with the queen or the knight.

• After 2...Qxd5 3.Nc3, the queen moves again, usually to a5 or d6.
• Black develops with ...Nf6, ...c6, ...Bf5 and ...e6: a solid, easy setup.
• White gains time by attacking the queen, so Black must not lose more tempi.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Scandinavian Defense course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: King's Pawn Game (1. e4)
• Continues with: Zukertort Opening: Tennison Gambit – adds 2. Nf3
• Continues with: Scandinavian Defense – adds 2. b3
• Continues with: Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit – adds 2. exd5 c6
• Continues with: Scandinavian Defense: Boehnke Gambit – adds 2. exd5 e5 3. dxe6 Bxe6
• Continues with: Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc Variation – adds 2. exd5 Qxd5
• Continues with: Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation – adds 2. exd5 Nf6
• Continues with: Scandinavian Defense: Zilbermints Gambit – adds 2. b4
• Continues with: Van Geet Opening: Grünfeld Defense – adds 2. Nc3 dxe4 3. Nxe4 e5
• Related line: Scandinavian Defense (1. e4 d5 2. b3)
• Related line: Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack (1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5)
• Related line: Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Collijn Variation (1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5 5. Nf3 Bg4)
• Related line: Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Goteborg System (1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5 5. Nf3)
• Related line: Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Orthodox Attack (1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 e5 5. dxe5 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bb4 7. Bd2)
• Related line: Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Gambit (1. e4 d5 2. exd5 c6 3. dxc6 Nxc6)

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