Stauntonmaster wrote:
The beginner Alan Dewey (chessspy) who is not even a rated player wants to lecture us about Scandinavian!!
white wins 44% against 2...Nf6 as opposed to 42% against 2...Qxd5. 3.Bb5+ wins 46% against 2..Nf6.
That is why most top GMs prefer 2...Qxd5.
2...Nf6 is inferior and is second choice and played half as often as 2..Qxd5 but some chess players use it hoping to confuse their opponent. The antedote is 3.Bb5+. If black blocks the check with 3...Bd7 white just plays 4.Bc4 and gets a good position. White scores 44% win and (black only 28% )against this line. And if black plays 3..Nd7 white simply plays 4.c4 and gets very good position.
This is very good advice/information! [except after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6
3. Bb5ch Nd7 play 4. d4 not 4. c4]
Yes, in the mainline, black temporarily loses a tempo after white develops with Nc3.
But it also coerces white into blocking his c-pawn with his knight. So there's a positional trade-off. Now white can't immediately establish a centralized pawn duo with c4+d4.
And, if white ever wants to move that c-pawn, he'll have to relocate the c3 knight—thus giving the tempo back.
This is correct.
I wrote a book on the Scandinavian and contributed to the theory. And used it as Black to beat many masters and even 1 current GM.
Anand has played the black side in the past. [he may have given it up?]
It is my opinion that at the highest levels, if White knows what he is doing--he [White] will obtain a slighly higher advantage than he gets in other openings. [so i would probably not use it [as Black] in a correspondence game or a vote chess game]
However this defense can be used by Class A players or lower!?