In short: - Get a pawn in the centre - Develop your minor pieces - Move your King to safety
In the Scotch game it is not only White’s intention to accomplish these goals, but also to prevent Black doing the same. The purpose of the game is to reach an advantageous imbalance.
3. ... exd4
1.e4e5 2.Nf3Nc6 3.d4 The Scotch game. With the move d4 White imediately attacks Black’s pawn in the centre. Black’s normal continuation will be 3... exd4 The pawn has to be captured, because the alternatives are not very promising for Black:
4. Nxd4 and now the only pawn in the centre is White’s. Black has to do something about this and will try to increase his influence on the centre. I mention three alternatives, of which I consider 4...Bc5 as the main variation, targeted at an attack of White’s pieces in the centre.
The Scotch opening is a chess opening that fits in very well with the Rules for the opening from the previous series of chess lessons.
In short:
- Get a pawn in the centre
- Develop your minor pieces
- Move your King to safety
In the Scotch game it is not only White’s intention to accomplish these goals, but also to prevent Black doing the same. The purpose of the game is to reach an advantageous imbalance.
3. ... exd4
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 The Scotch game. With the move d4 White imediately attacks Black’s pawn in the centre. Black’s normal continuation will be 3... exd4 The pawn has to be captured, because the alternatives are not very promising for Black:
3… d6 4.dxe5 dxe5 5.Qxd8+ Kxd8 The third goal can not be acomplished. 6.Bc4 f6 7.Be3
3… f6 weakens Black’s position of the King 4.Bc4
3… Bd6 blocks Black’s own pieces
4. Nxd4 and now the only pawn in the centre is White’s. Black has to do something about this and will try to increase his influence on the centre. I mention three alternatives, of which I consider 4...Bc5 as the main variation, targeted at an attack of White’s pieces in the centre.
Piece development: 4... Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6 ( 8… Nb6 9.Nc3 ) 9.b3
A less frequently played, but interesting alternative 4... Bb4+ but after 5.c3 Bc5 6.Be3 Bb6 7.Bc4 Nge7 8.O-O O-O I prefer to play with the White pieces.
5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.g3
More often played is the variation 7.Bc4 Ne5 8.Be2 Qg6 9.O-O d6 but I think that Black may have a slight advantage here.
7… d5 8.Bg2 dxe4
8… Bxd4 9.cxd4 dxe4 10.Nc3 O-O 11.Nxe4 Qg6 12.O-O
9.Nd2 Bxd4 10.cxd4 O-O
or 10... Bf5 11.Nxe4 Bxe4 12.Bxe4
11.Nxe4 Qg6
As you can see, the Scotch game is a very nice chess opening. It is an open game and there are a lot of possibilities for tactical manoeuvres.
Some links