3.....Qe5+ is a loser, allowing White to develop and then gain time on the Q with d4. 3.....Qa5 is main line. Some Black players opt to develop their Q-side and castle long ! That can be very tricky. Most solid for Black after 3.....Qa5 is to develop K-side and castle on that side. And to safeguard the Q with .....c6 and ....Qc7
3......Qd8 is another main line, though that admits the Q coming out to d5 was suspect, as White is ahead in development in an open position.
I used to do it about 20 years ago when I didn't want to bother studying anything before a tournament. It was purely to get away from main lines that my opponent might be super-booked on and to get into a so-so middlegame.
Not bad results as I recall. I'd take with the Q and go to a5 on the retreat.
Contrary to popular belief, after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5, 3.Nc3 does not gain any time that white didn't lose earlier with exd5. The capture Qxd5 develops a piece for free, the Nc3 gain of time just evens the score. White has really not gained anything here. Black is fine.
As black, I actually prefer to play 2...Nf6 which leads to a very different type of game. If white tries to hold on to the pawn with c4, black can gambit it with c6 and get a very strong grip on d4 and a little bit of time in compensation for the pawn. White usually just plays d4 and gives the pawn right back, and black gets a fine game in return, again--after black recaptures on d5, white often plays c4 driving the knight to b6, then black plays for a kingside fianchetto and Nc6 with an eventual e4.
If you think you have the Scandinavian Defense solved, you haven't played anyone that knows how to play it yet.
The Scandinavian Defense is not refutable. That's the best way to play against it. Play for a c4 d4 center against a e6 c6 center and use your space advantage
Contrary to popular belief, after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5, 3.Nc3 does not gain any time that white didn't lose earlier with exd5. The capture Qxd5 develops a piece for free, the Nc3 gain of time just evens the score. White has really not gained anything here. Black is fine.
As black, I actually prefer to play 2...Nf6 which leads to a very different type of game. If white tries to hold on to the pawn with c4, black can gambit it with c6 and get a very strong grip on d4 and a little bit of time in compensation for the pawn. White usually just plays d4 and gives the pawn right back, and black gets a fine game in return, again--after black recaptures on d5, white often plays c4 driving the knight to b6, then black plays for a kingside fianchetto and Nc6 with an eventual e4.
If you think you have the Scandinavian Defense solved, you haven't played anyone that knows how to play it yet.
Or, after 3.c4 c6 4.d4 you end up in a Panov-Botvinnik attack in the Caro-Kann.
Contrary to popular belief, after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5, 3.Nc3 does not gain any time that white didn't lose earlier with exd5. The capture Qxd5 develops a piece for free, the Nc3 gain of time just evens the score. White has really not gained anything here. Black is fine.
As black, I actually prefer to play 2...Nf6 which leads to a very different type of game. If white tries to hold on to the pawn with c4, black can gambit it with c6 and get a very strong grip on d4 and a little bit of time in compensation for the pawn. White usually just plays d4 and gives the pawn right back, and black gets a fine game in return, again--after black recaptures on d5, white often plays c4 driving the knight to b6, then black plays for a kingside fianchetto and Nc6 with an eventual e4.
If you think you have the Scandinavian Defense solved, you haven't played anyone that knows how to play it yet.
Or, after 3.c4 c6 4.d4 you end up in a Panov-Botvinnik attack in the Caro-Kann.
Yep, that transposition definitely happens.
Black has to make concessions in every chess opening. Typical concessions are: Granting white the bishop pair, a pawn majority in the centre, a space advantage or a better pawn structure. A problem piece, usually a bad bishop. Or a material advantage (these openings are called gambits). In the Scandinavian, black executes the very desirable d7-d5 at move 1, challenging white's central influence immediately. The disadvantage is a loss of time when his queen moves back to a5, d6 or d8. It can be argued in favour of the Scandinavian, that the placement of the Nc3 often is not ideal, mainly because it blocks the c-pawn.
Black has to make concessions in every chess opening. Typical concessions are: Granting white the bishop pair, a pawn majority in the centre, a space advantage or a better pawn structure. A problem piece, usually a bad bishop. Or a material advantage (these openings are called gambits). In the Scandinavian, black executes the very desirable d7-d5 at move 1, challenging white's central influence immediately. The disadvantage is a loss of time when his queen moves back to a5, d6 or d8. It can be argued in favour of the Scandinavian, that the placement of the Nc3 often is not ideal, mainly because it blocks the c-pawn.
It's for that reason I usually play 3.Nf3 as white instead of 3.Nc3.
the scandinavian doesnt actually break opening principles.
Well, I would say it does. But there are many fine openings or opening lines that break principles and get away with it. Opening principles are useful guidelines, but in the end it comes down to chess being very concrete.
When the police see a speeding car, they have to break the speed limit themselves to catch it.
The Scandinavian breaks opening principles in such a way that it takes creativity for White to gain an edge.
The Scandinavian is less sound than main lines, but still not quite so unsound that it loses by force. In a world of Black and White, such an opening seems completely irrational. This is part of its allure. Players such as Nakamura love this stuff because it forces the opponent to play concrete chess from the very beginning.
Having said all that, the Scandinavian isn't a very good choice for correspondence chess. In fact, it's probably only good as an occasional weapon in OTB chess. If an opponent is well prepared, White can get a comfortable advantage in a line of his choosing. White's not winning in the Scandinavian, but white can expect a larger edge than in other lines.
With the 3...Qd6 variation, black can supposedly do much better than in the other variations
Charetter, I don't know who told you that.
3...Qd6 lines can transpose into Qa5 lines. But White has other options in addition, including g3 lines that are quite popular. 3...Qd6 and 3...Qa5 occur with about the same frequency in GM games, with similar win ratios for White.
Contrary to popular belief, after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5, 3.Nc3 does not gain any time that white didn't lose earlier with exd5. The capture Qxd5 develops a piece for free, the Nc3 gain of time just evens the score. White has really not gained anything here. Black is fine.
As black, I actually prefer to play 2...Nf6 which leads to a very different type of game. If white tries to hold on to the pawn with c4, black can gambit it with c6 and get a very strong grip on d4 and a little bit of time in compensation for the pawn. White usually just plays d4 and gives the pawn right back, and black gets a fine game in return, again--after black recaptures on d5, white often plays c4 driving the knight to b6, then black plays for a kingside fianchetto and Nc6 with an eventual e4.
If you think you have the Scandinavian Defense solved, you haven't played anyone that knows how to play it yet.
You're probably actually right. I probably haven't played anyone who can play it that well
When the police see a speeding car, they have to break the speed limit themselves to catch it.
The Scandinavian breaks opening principles in such a way that it takes creativity for White to gain an edge.
The Scandinavian is less sound than main lines, but still not quite so unsound that it loses by force. In a world of Black and White, such an opening seems completely irrational. This is part of its allure. Players such as Nakamura love this stuff because it forces the opponent to play concrete chess from the very beginning.
Having said all that, the Scandinavian isn't a very good choice for correspondence chess. In fact, it's probably only good as an occasional weapon in OTB chess. If an opponent is well prepared, White can get a comfortable advantage in a line of his choosing. White's not winning in the Scandinavian, but white can expect a larger edge than in other lines.
That's certainly a nice way of putting it :)
3..Qe5+ is a stupid waste of time. If that's the way your opponents play, you need to get better opponents
Good sir, that is not the way ALL of my opponents play, I was simply using my last game as an example.
Thank you everyone for your time and comments! I've gotten a lot of valuable insight that I did not possess before. I certainly have a different view of the Scandinavian now.
-Amethyst2002
You'd think the attacking Kasparov would have loved this opening, if only against the lesser Masters. But he never ever played it.
Compliments to all on this thread. Good tips and insights and no fighting and trolling!! :-)
Charetter, I don't know who told you that.
3...Qd6 lines can transpose into Qa5 lines. But White has other options in addition, including g3 lines that are quite popular. 3...Qd6 and 3...Qa5 occur with about the same frequency in GM games, with similar win ratios for White.
A lot of times my opponents respond with with move 2...d5 to 1.e4 which is the Scandinavian Defense: Mieses Kotroc Variation. I see it A LOT and the game always ends in my favour. I just don't understand the opening theory behind this, since it defies opening principles. Maybe in the era of Romantic Chess it would have been a popular line, but now with careful play from white, it just forces easy developement and unsuspecting attacks on the Queen (very easy to pin on the c6 with the white bishop).
Can someone tell me the theory behind this opening? How often do you use it? What are your thoughts on it?