Has the Scandinavian Defense become fashionable?

Hi.

I am playing 10' games and the Scandinavian Defense is appearing a lot. I'd say that about half of the players go Scandinavian as soon as I play e4. Usually black gets into trouble quite fast. I am puzzled. Has the Scandinavian Defense become fashionable? If so, why?

"Only a few years back the Scandinavian was not fully accepted as an accurate reply to 1 e4, and only a small number of grandmasters occasionally employed it. However, in the current Wijk aan Zee tournament, the Melts Variation with 3….Qd6 was used by both Tiviakov and Ivanchuk. Even more noteworthy is the fact that Kramnik used it as his main weapon against 1 e4 during the Tal Memorial blitz tournament in Moscow last year. Thus, the Scandinavian Defense has never been as popular as it is right now." - FM Carsten Hansen (2010)

Starting Out: The Scandinavian by Jovanka Houska (2009)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627002658/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen129.pdf

Play the Scandinavian by Christian Bauer (2010)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140627073000/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen142.pdf

The Scandinavian: Move by Move by Cyrus Lakdawala (2013)

https://web.archive.org/web/20140626232217/http://www.chesscafe.com/text/hansen171.pdf

Smerdon’s Scandinavian by David Smerdon (2015)

All I see are Sicilians. I'm about ready to pay people to play the Scandinavian against me.

see it a lot in blitz not so much in longer time controls

I like playing it and I like playing against it. 

Yes, but it's still passive. 1.e4 d5 2.ed5 ( the opening up of the e-file is White's lost tempo) 2...Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 ((Qa5,Qd6) Black's lost tempo ) 4.d4 (other). Not to say that Black has lost 3 tempi for opening up the d-file and placing his Queen back to square one.

Because White is unable to do anything useful with those tempi. The Na3 is offside, and ... fxe4 followed by ... f5 is coming. Black also has two bishops.

Here's the problem with the Scandinavian as I see it.

Let's take the position after 3... Qa5 as an example. In the mainlines, White has a couple of plusses: He has more space and has a lead in development. Black's queen is exposed, and White can gain another tempo by Bd2. Basically, White has a lot to play for in the Scandinavian. Black doesn't.

I disagree that 3.d4 is the way to go for White due to 3...e5! which Black is comfortable in. As an e4 player I too face it quite a lot and I'm still not sure about it. On one hand I feel White gets easy development for the pieces but Black is solid in those pawn structures resembling slav and caro kann formations. I guess one mistake in playing against the Scandinavian is over pressing what looks like a superior position. So yes, Black has moved his queen here and there but the position remains solid so be patient.

No I was referring to the line mentioned by BetterOff... 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.d4?! when Black has e5! which is fine for Black. But I agree that after Qxd5 Nc3 Qa5 I'm more concerned for the c6 lines than Nf6. I also like Nf3 intending d4 and c4 but I haven't played this line as I usually go Nc3

3.d4 presents black with no problems after 3...e5.

Just to set the scene, I am an enthusastic but not very talented player; I tend to play against people around my own level; I like the Scandinavian defence; when I am Black, many of my 5 minute games go like this: 1 e4 d5 ... long pause as clock ticks away, then ... 2. e5 - and I feel safe at least on time!

Well, first time on my life I saw it I took the pawn without even thinking.

I like it in blitz because white usually responds as if he has never seen it before.  There are some very sharp lines.

What's the best lines in 1. e4 d5 2. e5 for black? Are their any?

I'm old enough to remember when the "Scandinavian" was called "The Centre Counter" !

Thank you. I will try that line 

You are all wrong, Scandinavian became popular becouse a lot of people follow John Bartholomew on youtube, and his main weapon against e4 is Scandinavian defense..

Actually after 1. e4  d5  2. e5  Black already has the better game as White has moved a pawn twice without a good enough reason.

Scandinavian is great.