Scandinavian Defense
ECO B01beginner
The Scandinavian, 1.e4 d5, is the most forcing reply to 1.e4: Black liquidates White's center pawn on move one and accepts a small loss of time after 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3, when the queen moves again to a5 or d6. What Black gets in return is a Caro-Kann-like structure (...c6, ...Bf5 or ...Bg4) reached by force, with almost no theory for White to spring surprises in. It is a favorite of practical players who want their preparation to actually appear on the board.
Main line
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6
Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.
Win rates by rating
Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.
| Rating | Games | White wins | Draws | Black wins | Position after |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400-600 | 40 | 57.5% | 5% | 37.5% | 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 |
| 600-800 | 31 | 51.6% | 3.2% | 45.2% | 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 |
| 800-1000 | 59 | 44.1% | 5.1% | 50.9% | 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 |
| 1000-1200 | 99 | 54.5% | 3% | 42.4% | 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 |
| 1200-1400 | 257 | 45.1% | 5.1% | 49.8% | 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5 |
Most played continuations (1200-1400 rating)
After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bh5:
- g4 — played 42.4% of the time (White wins 50.5%, draws 3.7%, Black wins 45.9%)
- Be2 — played 20.2% of the time (White wins 50%, draws 3.9%, Black wins 46.2%)
- Bd2 — played 14.8% of the time (White wins 28.9%, draws 5.3%, Black wins 65.8%)
Frequently asked questions
Is the Scandinavian Defense sound?
Yes — it concedes White a small, stable edge in development and space, but the structure is hard to crack, and there is no refutation. It has appeared in world championship play, and below master level the time Black saves on theory is worth far more than the engine's tenth-of-a-pawn.
Should Black play 3...Qa5 or 3...Qd6?
3...Qa5 is the classical main line, keeping the queen active and eyeing e5 ideas, but requires knowing the d2-d4 with Bd2 discovered-attack tricks. 3...Qd6 is the modern choice — safer from tempo-gaining attacks and flexible about ...g6 or ...c6 setups. Both are respectable; pick one and learn its typical middlegames.
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