I don't think it matters much. The only big difference is when d4 is played and White will play it sooner or later anyway. The Scotch does lead to concrete positions earlier though and there are less manoeuvres to worry about.
Scotch Opening for Kids/Beginners vs Italian?
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Dec 11, 2015
0
#3
I find the lower rated the player, the more likely they are to go for Nxd4. This may give White a nice centralised piece. However, I find the lack of tension in the position rather dull.
I don't think the Queenless game after d6 is as dangerous as it initially appears and I often find these games difficult to win. More importantly, Neil McDonald, author of Starting out 1e4 agrees with me and says the following:
'First of all, a word about 3d6, which maintains a pawn on e5. Judging from my experience of coaching juniors, this move is quite popular at less exalted levels of play. Now White can get an endgame with some advantage after 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Qxd8+ Kxd8, but it's not so easy to take advantage of the displaced black king. Therefore I recommend 4Bb5'.
repac3161 wrote:
I find the lower rated the player, the more likely they are to go for Nxd4. This may give White a nice centralised piece. However, I find the lack of tension in the position rather dull.
I don't think the Queenless game after d6 is as dangerous as it initially appears and I often find these games difficult to win. More importantly, Neil McDonald, author of Starting out 1e4 agrees with me and says the following:
'First of all, a word about 3d6, which maintains a pawn on e5. Judging from my experience of coaching juniors, this move is quite popular at less exalted levels of play. Now White can get an endgame with some advantage after 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Qxd8+ Kxd8, but it's not so easy to take advantage of the displaced black king. Therefore I recommend 4Bb5'.
Yeah 4.Bb5 I think is guaranteed to get you an advantage you can work with. That endgame doesn't look too obvious. Some of them can be really good for White though and I think Yasser Seirawan did a lecture at St.Louis about one of those endgames.
Those positions with ....Nxd4 are usually not fun to defend with Black though. White has space and development and Black is just worse. Basically unless Black can play ...d5 or find some other counterplay he's just going to have to deal with a kingside attack.
Dec 11, 2015
0
#5
P-KN5 wrote:
repac3161 wrote:
I find the lower rated the player, the more likely they are to go for Nxd4. This may give White a nice centralised piece. However, I find the lack of tension in the position rather dull.
I don't think the Queenless game after d6 is as dangerous as it initially appears and I often find these games difficult to win. More importantly, Neil McDonald, author of Starting out 1e4 agrees with me and says the following:
'First of all, a word about 3d6, which maintains a pawn on e5. Judging from my experience of coaching juniors, this move is quite popular at less exalted levels of play. Now White can get an endgame with some advantage after 4 dxe5 dxe5 5 Qxd8+ Kxd8, but it's not so easy to take advantage of the displaced black king. Therefore I recommend 4Bb5'.
Yeah 4.Bb5 I think is guaranteed to get you an advantage you can work with. That endgame doesn't look too obvious. Some of them can be really good for White though and I think Yasser Seirawan did a lecture at St.Louis about one of those endgames.
Those positions with ....Nxd4 are usually not fun to defend with Black though. White has space and development and Black is just worse. Basically unless Black can play ...d5 or find some other counterplay he's just going to have to deal with a kingside attack.
That is another benefit of scotch as a learning experience for absolute beginner. Most beginner will allow that centralize queen. Attacking the king is an easy plan to grasp for beginners.
I think for absolute beginners/kids, it will be better if they use scotch vs italian game.
The benefits are:
It will practice them with pawn breaks(d4)
It will show them half open file(exd4)
If will show a good centralize piece(if black capture with nxd4)
If will show them the danger of a king on a center in half/open position(if black answer d4 with d6)
The position is easier to undertsand.
For those who taught their kids or students, do you agree?