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Scotch Game

White opens the centre at once with d4. After the exchange on c6, White gains space with e5 and c4, while Black’s doubled c-pawns give him a strong centre and the half-open b-file. Kasparov revived it in the 1990s.

Intermediate · Open games (1.e4 e5) · 17 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Scotch Game (C45). You play White. White opens the centre at once with d4. After the exchange on c6, White gains space with e5 and c4, while Black’s doubled c-pawns give him a strong centre and the half-open b-file. Kasparov revived it in the 1990s.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e5

Black plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 21% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 89% of 384k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 336k games.

Step 6

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 12% of 293k games.

Step 7

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...exd4

Black plays pawn takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 99% of 34k games.

Step 8

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Nxd4

White plays knight takes d4. It captures the pawn on d4. It takes a centre square (d4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 77% of 34k games.

Step 9

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 45% of 27k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nxc6

White plays knight takes c6. It captures the knight on c6. It controls the centre (d4, e5). It attacks the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 79% of 12k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...bxc6

Black plays pawn takes c6. It captures the knight on c6. It controls the centre (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 9251 games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.e5

White plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It gains space. It attacks the knight on f6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 78% of 9118 games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...Qe7

Black plays queen to e7. It controls the centre (e5). It pins the pawn on e5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 93% of 7067 games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Qe2

White plays queen to e2. It controls the centre (e4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 6541 games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...Nd5

Black plays knight to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 6608 games.

Step 16

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 8.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It attacks the knight on d5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 78% of 6535 games.

Step 17

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Scotch Game. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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More lessons in Open games (1.e4 e5)

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