Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense

Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense is a chess opening with the ECO code C44, part of the Scotch Game family. It goes 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4. White opens with 1. e4 (the king's pawn) and Black answers 1... e5. After 8 moves it is White to move. After the last move Black 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... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
• 2. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
• 2... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
• 3. Bc4 – White plays the bishop to c4
• 3... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
• 4. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
• 4... exd4 – Black captures on d4 with the e-pawn

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 5. O-O, 5. e5.

About the Scotch Game

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, White plays 3.d4 at once to open the centre. It leads to open, clear positions with fast development.

• After 3...exd4 4.Nxd4, White has a strong knight in the centre.
• Black challenges with ...Bc5 or ...Nf6 and often trades knights on d4.
• After Nxc6 bxc6, Black gets a strong centre but a weaker pawn structure.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Open Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4)
• Continues with: Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Kingside Variation – adds 5. e5 Ng4
• Continues with: Italian Game: Scotch Gambit – adds 5. O-O
• Continues with: Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack – adds 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4
• Continues with: Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Perreux Variation – adds 5. Ng5
• Related line: Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. O-O d6 6. c3 Bg4)
• Related line: Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Göring Gambit Declined (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 d5)
• Related line: Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Advance Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5)
• Related line: Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Kingside Variation (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 Ng4)
• Related line: Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4)
• Related line: Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, London Defense (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+)

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