Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Elbow Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code B01, part of the Scandinavian Defense family. It goes 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Bb5+ c6. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 8 moves it is White to move. After the last move White is a pawn ahead in material. 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
2. exd5 – White captures on d5 with the e-pawn
2... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
3. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
3... Bg4 – Black plays the bishop to g4
4. Bb5+ – White plays the bishop to b5, giving check
4... c6 – Black plays the pawn to c6
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.
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