That's just stupid. You can't bring the queen out on move 4!
Scotch, Steinitz Defense
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Sure you can. In the Scandinavian, the black queen often comes out on move 2!
Willow_Anne wrote:
That's just stupid. You can't bring the queen out on move 4!
It seems to be a really unexplored line... there could be a lot of potential here...
it is not really unexplored, i would rather say it is well known and studied...
GM Lev Gutman wrote a entire book about this line :
https://www.amazon.com/Qh4-Scotch-Game/dp/0713486074
This variation is dubious but over the board...
I didn't realized it was so well studied. I couldn't find any lines in it from names of GMs or IMs I recognized in the last couple decades... guess that means 1. they think it's crap, or 2. they don't like it
I've faced this over the board with white and theres always a look of annoyance on your opponent once you've calmly played Be2. A few have even admitted to me afterwards that they were hoping I wouldn't know it! Be2 isn't refuting as such but it demonstrates that you know how to treat this line and that black is going to get a more difficult game than white.
Karjakin had an amazing win over it when he was a child vs Vasily Malinin. It was probably the last nail in the coffin for it at higher levels but I've seen it at clubs by players rated 2000+.
I was looking into another scotch opening line to try and I found this defense... It seems really old fashioned to bring the Queen out so early, but Houdini seems to like it just fine!
My database has this listed as "The Steinitz Variation" of the scotch... with this game of Steinitz from 1870 that ended in a draw.
However I have a few games from earlier- by very big name players as well!! Here is Henry Bird in 1850:
And here is Howard Stuanton himself in 1846:
And a third game from as far back as 1770 I found on www.chessgames.com:
Does anyone know why this is called "The Steinitz Variation"?? His game was only a draw (albeit a wild and crazy game) whereas Henry Bird played it 20 years earlier and won brilliantly! Maybe batgirl or some other historian has more information on this line?