Best books on the Scandinavian

Hi folks,

Any pointers of good up to date books on the Scandinavian?

I have Smerdon on the Portuguese, which I think sets a very high bar for chess books. However, I'd like books that also cover Queen takes pawn (I tend to move the pawn over to a5).

Cheers.

Hey @Mesmer177! 👋

Great taste with Smerdon’s book—his work on the Portuguese is top-tier and super entertaining to read, too!

If you're looking for some up-to-date resources that also dig into the 2...Qxd5 lines (especially the ...Qa5 variations), here are a few I'd recommend checking out:

📘 "The Modern Scandinavian" by FM Daniel LowingerThis one covers 2...Qxd5 and the ...Qa5 systems in great detail. It’s not super flashy, but it’s thorough and practical—perfect if you're looking to build a repertoire around those lines.

📕 "The Scandinavian for Club Players" by Thomas WillemzeA newer and very accessible take—this one balances ideas and moves orders nicely and is beginner-friendly while still giving you strategic depth. It touches on various Qxd5 setups.

📗 Chessable RepertoiresIf you're open to digital formats, Chessable has some excellent Scandinavian repertoires—many of which include aQa5 lines, and they're constantly updated. Worth checking for ones by titled players or verified creators.

Happy hunting with the Scandi! ♟️

Cheers, Joseph. Appreciate that.

If your interested in the 3....Qa5 var

The best primer for the Mieses var 3...Qa5 is Martin's "Essential Guide to the Center Counter Defense" It is not data dump... easy to read.

Two others come to mind.

Wahls... The Modern Scandinavian (extremely nessary if you are serious about playing the Center Counter Defense ... ) covers themes, structures and plans from a GM prospective

Bauer's " Play the Scandinavian" is another critical look at the Center Counter Defense from a GM

Walls and Bauer played the Scandinavian in serious tournament play... Imo (that is very important)

If we are talking the Mieses Var 3...Qa3 Theory has not changed all that much since 2010 the mainlines are still ....

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Bd2 e6 8.Nd5 [8.Ne4]

and

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Bd2 e6 8.Qe2 Bb4

Unless there has been a major novelty that has change the landscape of 3...Qa5 main lines, Bauer's book should still relevant. Wahls" book is just plane FUNDEMENTAL if you plan to play the Center Counter Defense... it explains the defense from the ground up, covers the pawn structures, the themes and the plans (of the 3...Qa5 var )

I'm a little cautious of ...Nc6 lines in the 3...Qd6 var (although I'm not sure if you are talking about ....Qd6 var) but it totally works with g6 lines.

If you filter on:

• 1.e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 ...
• 2010 till now (my database is not 100% up to date)
• rating above 2700

you will find that 5. ...c6 and 5. ...Bf4 are fighting for first place.

And that is only because Grischuk keeps playing ...c6. If it was up to Mamedyarov, Nakamura, Carlsen, Rapport, Ali Reza and Kramnik ...Bf4 would win without any doubt. The winning chances with ...Bf4 are a lot better.

For us patzers is the problem not to loose our queen, of course. But that is more or less team Scandi's fate.

Im thinking Grischuk keeps playing ...c6 because IMO... 6. Bf4 doesn't do much when it comes to the theory in the 3...Qa5 Mieses Var Imo that move is designed to deploy the bishop on a diagonal to prevent 0-0-0 and Bd6 and Black attacking the kingside. After 6.Bf4 both side will end up castle kingside and Black get a decent Caro-Kann structure.... all be it 6...e6 (what I would play) 7.Ne5 Bb4 8. Bd2 0-0 9. g4!? looks aggressive. (One of the reasons I like the Center Counter Defense is if White deviates from the main lines 80% of the time Black ends up in decent line of the Caro Kann)

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d4 c6 (Might be premature if you know your opponent isn't going down the main lines)

6.Bf4 Bf5 7.Ne5 Nd5 8.Nc4 Nxc3 9.Nxa5 Nxd1 10.Kxd1 b6 11.Nc4 = about even ... IMO... if this is what a 2700 player has cooked up playing Bf4 then the Scandinavian is doing just fine

Mamedyarov, Nakamura, Carlsen, Rapport, Ali Reza and Kramnik .playing 6.Bf4 would win without any doubt. ..... Hold: They know that... To me... with Bf4 , it looks they are just developing their pieces and letting their prowess win the day in the late middle game and endgame arena.

I personally don't play ....c6 till I see Bd2 Example... 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.d4 Bf5 6.Bf4 e6 7.Ne5 Bb4 =

Players of that caliber will play what they want against anyone not on their level and win!

I think this opening is a problem to cover with a book, because there are 4 different variations right at the beginning. And each leads to 4 different positions. All of them are called Scandinavian Defense though, but the book mostly only writes about one variant.
2...Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5
2...Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6
2...Nf6 3. ... Qxd5
2...Nf6 3. ... Nxd5

Contributing to that... it's a niche opening, susceptible to every Chess author's coverage. Meaning "there a lot of bad publications on the opening"

The Scandinavian for the Club Player by Thomas Willemze..

It's excellent, it's relatively recent (2021), so up-to-date. Specifically and comprehensively on the 3...Qa5 variation. IMO It's the only book on the Scandinavian you will need.

It appears that post #2 has his authors vs books mixed up.....

that is...

The Modern Scandinavian is by Matthias Wahls

Daniel Lowinger is the author of The 3...Qd8 Scandinavian: Simple and Strong

I am lisa

I'm pretty sure @AtaChess68 meant 5 ... c6 and 5 ... Bf5 , not 6 Bf4 at all. You are correct that 6 Bf4 doesn't do much with the black queen on a5.

So you are recommending 5...Bf5 and 6...Nc6 ?????

Quote" I haven’t read Wahls or Bauer but I understood that they are a bit outdated at some points. I think they more or less default …c6 while the last 25 years …Nc6 is an option in many lines."

White wins 70% of the time in that line  (that's why I thought you had to mean 6.Bf4)

 Ummm Ok... I guess

For 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 (Mieses Variation (B01)….
ChessTempo.com database gives the following data for Black’s most frequently played 5th moves, where both players are rated 2400+ …
G=#games / W=White wins / D=Draw / B=Black wins / Avg= Average player rating
5…c6 G:393 / W:33.8 % / D:44.5% / B:21.6% / Avg:2533
5…Bf5 G:344 / W:38.1% / D:31.1% / B:30.8% / Avg:2539
5…Bg4 G:141 / W:40.4% / D:34% / B:25.5% / Avg:2487
5…Nc6 G:59 / W:54.2% / D:16.9% / B:28.8% / Avg:2468
Note Willemze’s book covers the 3…Qa5 line only, with the Mieses Variation and 5…Bf5 as its main line.