Scandinavian Defense, Modern Variation

This is my favorite defense as black against 1. e4.  However, I don't see many other people using it: on the rare occasion I see someone play the Scandinavian, it's always 2. ...Qxd5.  Some people tell me that I am foolish to give up a pawn so early, but the only way I know for white to hold on to the material advantage is 3. c4, which after 3. ...e6 becomes my favorite opening, the Icelandic Gambit:

Are there any other people who play this opening?  Why is it so rare?

The Icelandic gambit is terrible, White gets a clear edge. Better is 3...c6

How so?  I'm not disputing your opinion, but could you post an analysis to demonstrate?

I've only had the chance to play the Icelandic Gambit once (I think)--albeit, against a lower-ranked player--but the affect it had on my opponent was devastating.

White needs to know the book though. But I agree that after 3...c6, White would be well inspired to transpose into a Caro-Kahn by 4.d4, taking the pawn gives Black tons of play against d4.

As for the discussion between the Icelandic-Palme Gambit (3. ...e6) and the Panov Transfer (3. ...c6), according to the Game Explorer in Master Games:

Panov Transfer: 834 games; 40.6% white wins, 33.3% draws, 26% black wins

Icelandic-Palme Gambit: 333 games; 39.6% white wins, 26.1% draws, 34.2% black wins

I play this all the time against 1.e4 but I play the c6 instead of e6 pawn after on the third move after c4. Then if they take my c6 pawn the knight jumps out to recapture and I have two pieces developed to white's none for a pawn. Also the white can't play d4 immediately so this also makes white development a little uneasy to me. I like having the greater development in my games which usually gives me the initiative and more attacking possibilities.

The reason you see a lot more of 2...Qxd5 is because 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4! Nxd5 4.c4! is under a bit of a cloud for Black, and White is scoring very high in this line at the top level.

You have a fair point about the Panov Transfer (accepted) preventing white's 5. d4--but d4 is not really a concern for black in the Icelandic Gambit.  When white plays 5. d4 in the Icelandic Gambit accepted, Game Explorer gives black a 52.2% win rate!  (white has a 34.4% win rate, and there's a 13.3% draw rate)

Why 3. ...Nxd5?!  After 3. d4, I'm not in a rush to reclaim that pawn right away. 3.  ...e6 dxe6 Bxe6 leads to the same position I mentioned above--and black wins a majority of top-level games (52.2%).  Black also has the Portugese Variation, 3. ...Bg4 (which I admit, I had never seen until researching for this comment).

Yeah I usually still play c6 on the third move and offer the pawn looking to try and overwhelm the d4 pawn later on or cramp white's development a little. I have no idea if that is a good way to play against it though.

Greenatic I don't know anything about those statistics or what they really mean to me or my game, I am not a master player that those statistics seem to draw from. I was just saying why I play c6 instead of e6. I wasn't saying you shouldn't play e6 move, just that I play c6. Great to see someone playing similar opening play to me!

I refuse to play the 2...Nf6 Scandi and same thing goes for 1.e4 as White, but just on logic alone, I'd have to say that 3...c6 is a horrible move.  Here White should take it!

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 c6? 4.dxc6 Nxc6 5.c3! (White hasn't played c4 yet, so d4 is not weakened like it is after 3.c4 c6 4.dxc6 Nxc6.

White might also have the option of 5.Be3 intending 6.c4.  Again, I'm not looking at it, going off memory, but either way, the point behind the gambit is that d4 is weakened.  d4 is not weakened.  In the other line, d4 is outright prevented.  Here it's already been played, so now all I have to do is guard it.

MartzVariation, I wasn't posting those statistics to argue with you--they were actually posted 19 minutes before you posted your first response.  The Panov Transfer (3. c4 c6) is still a solid and effective opening, which I have used on occasion.  I wan't trying to cast doubt on it.  I posted the statistics to try to prove that both the Icelandic Gambit and the Panov Transfer were effective openings, in response to Expertise87:

I'm also happy to find another fan of the Scandinavian Defense, Modern Variation: I was starting to doubt myself when I couldn't find a single person in my entire area who had even heard of it.  Most of them laughed at it, and said its only purpose was "shock value".

Then I beat them with it.  

That line is certainly not bad for white--but there's only one game using it in Game Explorer.  Masters prefer 5. Nf3, Bb5, and c4--and why?

Yes, you've managed to protect the d4 pawn.  But in terms of development, you're severely behind.  You have no e-pawn, and the only other white pieces moved are the d-pawn (2 spaces) and the c-pawn (1 space).  The c-pawn blocks the knight from its favorite square.  After playing e5 or e6, all of black's pieces are developed or ready to develop. Meanwhile, you can put your knight on a useless square (a3), waste two moves developing it to d2 and then elsewhere, or abandon it entirely.  Optimally, you would develop both bishops, then play Nf3 and Nbd2, but by then black's forces will be raging.

Greenatic - Also notice I did mention 5.Be3 (Which develops a piece) instead of 5.c3, and also as you say, 5.Nf3, but I then find Bg4 annoying, and you have to play c3 or Be3 anyway.

I think 5. Be3 is the best (not 5. Nf3 for the reason you mentioned), even though white is still behind in development.  

But there are 472 master games with 4. c4, and only 12 for 4. dxc4.  I'm not sure why, and I know this is pathetic logic, but I'm sure there's a reason why.  I just don't know what it is.

EDIT:  I don't know what others' opinions are, but this may just be one of the most beautiful gambit-attack games I've ever seen.  It's after 4. ...dxc4 in the much-discussed line.  Behold, with only one game in the entire Master Games database, the Kadas Gambit!  *dramatic music*

Not too difficult to find a White improvement in that sequence:

I counted at the end; seems White is up a pawn.

Statistics from move three are totally meaningless. They include lots of bad moves. Also, Game Explorer has lots of games between unrated players. Generally, bad openings like this are only played by bad players, so the statistics are worse than meaningless, they're actually misleading.

The well-known refutation to the Icelandic blunder is 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4 e6?! 4.dxe6 Bxe6 5.Nf3 Nc6 (Qe7 is always met by Qe2 of course) 6.d4 Bb4+ 7.Nc3 (at this point in the database, White is scoring over 75%) where Black has a choice of ways to not get compensation for his pawn:

7...Qe7 8.Be3! +/-

7...Ne4 8.d5! Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3+ 10.Bd2 Bxa1 11.Qxa1 and again White has a clear edge.

Any improvements for the Black side?

I play the Scandy Modern as my main answer to e4 in Blitz.

Very few decent players try to hang onto the pawn with 3. c4 and I always play the c6 line if they do.

3. d4 is of course hoping for Nxe5 or Qxe5, after which c4 wins a tempo and space for White and Black is cramped

You can try the c6 gambit in response to 3.d4 but I find that, because the hole on d4 is lacking for Black to exploit, the compensation isn't as good as in the 3 c4..c6 lines.

I prefer  responding to 3 d4 with Bg4 - the Portuguese Gambit.

There is a recent separate thread on that elsewhere on the openings' board.

The Portuguese is just as bad as the Icelandic, unfortunately. I really wish these gambits were playable, because then I'd have more fun in blitz games. I just can't bring myself to play bad openings though.

Hey guys, i'm a beginner so don't hate...But how should I go about getting better at my opening game? Should I just memorize openings or what? that doesn't seem prudent? I don't know how to make my own post so i'm posting it here lol