Chess Openings → Scotch Game

Scotch Game: a quick fight for the center after 1.e4 e5

The Scotch Game starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 — instead of preparing this move for a long time, as in the Italian Game or the Ruy Lopez, White opens the center as early as the third move. After 3...exd4 4.Nxd4 the knight lands actively in the center of the board, and both bishops get quick access to the game.

In short: after 4.Nxd4 you're playing for fast development of both bishops and free piece play in an open position. Instead of the sharpest theoretical lines, you choose simple, solid continuations — a separate plan for each of Black's three most common replies is described below. You can practice the full repertoire — with branches for every reasonable reply — in the opening trainer, free and without an account.

Starting position and the idea

After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4, Black almost always captures exd4 — otherwise White gets a big center for free. After 4.Nxd4 the knight stands actively in the center of the board, and White gets quick access to developing both bishops before Black finishes developing. This repertoire deliberately skips the sharpest theoretical line — 4...Qh4, the Steinitz Variation, with forced complications after 5.Nb5 — and relies on simple plans: the Scotch Four Knights against 4...Nf6, challenging the bishop with Be3 against 4...Bc5, and natural development against the quiet 4...d6.

Black's three most common replies

• 4...Nf6 (Scotch Four Knights) — Black immediately attacks the e4 pawn. After 5.Nc3 Bb4 (the typical pin on the c3 knight) 6.Nxc6 bxc6 you get the bishop pair and a simpler position to develop: next, Bd3, short castling, and play on the bishop-pair advantage.
• 4...Bc5 — Black develops the bishop actively instead of attacking the e4 pawn first. After 5.Be3 Qf6 (Black targets the d4 knight) you play 6.c3, defending the knight with a modest pawn move: next, Nd2 (or Nb5), castling, and positional play with a slight space advantage.
• 4...d6 — Black plays the most modest move, postponing the decision about piece development. White immediately develops the bishop actively with 5.Bc4, aimed at f7, similar to the Italian Game: next, Nc3, short castling, and pressure on the kingside.

Honestly, about this page's scope

The above is a sketch of the plan, not a full trainer with every branch and typical opponent mistakes. The full Scotch Game repertoire — including an exact evaluation of every line verified by the Stockfish engine — is waiting in the opening trainer inside the app. Before playing your first opening, it's also worth knowing the 5 rules that win most games — the Scotch Game is just one way of putting those rules into practice.

More openings (including the Sicilian, French, and Queen's Gambit) are covered on the Chess Openings page. Want to practice these same principles right away against an opponent? Play a game against the computer at any difficulty level.

The trainer works offline after your first online visit on this device. No app installation required.