Scotch Game

The main line

The Scotch Game is reached by 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 (ECO C44). It's one of 53 named lines under this opening in the book.

Named variations (33)

The most common 30 of 33 named variations:

• Scotch Gambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 (C44)
• Göring Gambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 (C44)
• Classical Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 (C45)
• Lolli Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 (C44)
• Steinitz Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 (C45)
• Horwitz Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5 (C45)
• Relfsson Gambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bb5 (C44)
• Benima Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d4 exd4 (C44)
• Haxo Gambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 (C44)
• Schmidt Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 (C45)
• Malaniuk Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bb4+ (C45)
• Alekhine Gambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. e5 (C45)
• Braune Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Be3 (C45)
• Fraser Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nf3 (C45)
• Paulsen Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nf5 (C45)
• Potter Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 (C45)
• Napoleon Gambit — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Bc4 (C44)
• Modern Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nc3 Bb4 (C45)
• Romanishin Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb4+ (C45)
• Vitzthum Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. Qh5 (C44)
• Blumenfeld Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. Nb5 (C45)
• Ghulam-Kassim Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 d6 6. Bd3 (C45)
• Mieses Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 (C45)
• Tartakower Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Nd2 (C45)
• Cochrane Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 6. bxc3 Ba5 7. e5 (C44)
• Meitner Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Nc2 (C45)
• Paulsen Attack — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bb5 (C45)
• Paulsen — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bb5 Nd8 (C45)
• Hanneken Variation — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 6. O-O cxb2 7. Bxb2 Nf6 8. Ng5 O-O 9. e5 Nxe5 (C44)
• Cochrane-Shumov Defense — 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5 Nh6 6. Nxf7 Nxf7 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 8. Qh5+ g6 9. Qxc5 d5 (C44)

Analyze the Scotch Game

Play through this opening on the free analysis board, or review one of your own gamesto see how accurately you handled it — every move classified, with the engine's best line on each mistake.

← Back to all chess openings. New to opening study? See move classifications and the glossary.