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Scandinavian Defense: trade off the center on move one

Black trades off e4 with d5 right from the start. The position is simple and the ideas are clear, so it's easy for beginners to pick up with Black.

Also called：Scandinavian Defence、Center Counter Defense、Centre Counter Defence

The Scandinavian Defense is 1. e4 d5. White's pawn goes to e4, and Black immediately challenges it with the d-pawn and trades it off. Black doesn't let White take the center easily, and the position gets simple right away. It's a very old opening with not much to memorize, which makes it a great pick with Black when you play free online chess games.

Moves and position

  1. 1. e4 d5 Black's pawn attacks e4 right away.
  2. 2. exd5 Qxd5 White takes the pawn on d5, and Black's queen takes back at once.
  3. 3. Nc3 White's knight comes out and attacks the black queen.

The opening principles say "don't bring your queen out too early." Here the black queen comes out and gets chased by the knight right away, so White gains a move. Black accepts that price, and in return the center pawns are gone, the position is clear, and both of Black's bishops have open paths.

What White wants

  • Chase the queen to gain time: Nc3, Nf3 and Bd2 all develop a piece while threatening the black queen.
  • Take the center with d4: Black has no d-pawn anymore, so White's d4 pawn stands firm.
  • Develop fast and castle early: White is ahead in development and wants to attack while the black queen is still out in the open.

What Black wants

  • Put the queen somewhere safe: a5 or d6 are the most common, where it's hard to chase again.
  • Bishop out, then build the wall: bring the c8 bishop out to f5 or g4 first, then play e6 and c6. The position is very solid.
  • Healthy pawns: Black has no weak pawns and usually does fine in the endgame after trades.

Main lines

Main line: 3... Qa5

The black queen drops back to a5, out of the center and hard to chase, while eyeing White's knight on c3 along the diagonal. Black follows up with c6 and Bf5, leaving the queen a way back.

This is the traditional way to play. On a5 the queen isn't in the way and can pin White's queenside pieces at any time. The move c6 is important: it lets the queen drop back to c7 when needed.

The modern way: 3... Qd6

The black queen drops back to d6, and a6 covers b5 so White's knight can't jump there to attack the queen and c7.

On d6 the queen is closer to the center and can also help guard Black's kingside. The move a6 looks slow, but it's there to keep the queen safe.

No queen recapture: 2... Nf6

Black brings out the knight first and takes back on d5 with the knight, so the queen never gets chased.

This line takes the pawn back one move later, but the black queen doesn't have to come out and get pushed around. If White tries to hold on to the extra pawn with 3. c4, Black can play 3... c6 and give a pawn for quick development.

A common trap: pinning the knight with the bishop too early

In the lines where the queen goes back to d8, Black often wants to pin White's knight with the bishop. But if White's bishop is already on c4 aiming at f7, watch out:

The black bishop goes to g4 to pin the white knight, and Black looks comfortable. But f7 is guarded only by the black king.

White can start by giving up a bishop:

White's bishop takes f7 with check, and the black king takes back. Then White's knight jumps to e5 with check and opens the diagonal from the white queen to g4 at the same time.

Now the black bishop on g4 is attacked by both the white knight and the white queen, and only the black knight on f6 protects it. Wherever the black king goes, White can follow up with Nxg4 and Qxg4 to win the bishop back:

White gives up a bishop and a knight and wins back the f7 pawn, the black bishop and the black knight. White is a pawn up, and the black king can't castle anymore.

The right plan for Black: when White's bishop is on c4, play e6 first to shield f7, then develop the bishop. Or put the bishop on f5 and don't rush to pin the knight. Remember: when f7 is guarded only by the king, any check could be the start of a trap.

Who it suits

  • Beginners just starting out with Black: the center gets traded off right away, so you don't have to face a big white center.
  • Players who don't want to memorize much theory: the ideas stay the same: put the queen somewhere safe, bring the bishop out, build the wall.
  • Players who like steady positions: the pawns are healthy, and you rarely get mated in the opening.

It's a lot like the Caro-Kann Defense, and both often end up with Black's pawns on c6 and e6 and the bishop outside. The difference is that the Scandinavian trades pawns right away and brings the queen out first, while the Caro-Kann props up the center with c6 before trading.

Frequently asked questions

Isn't bringing the queen out this early against opening principles?

A little. White gains a move by chasing the queen with Nc3. But Black's position is simple and the pawns are healthy, so as long as the queen goes somewhere safe (a5 or d6), the lost move doesn't cost much.

Should I play 3... Qa5 or 3... Qd6?

Qa5 is more traditional and easy to learn together with c6 and Bf5. Qd6 is more modern, and you have to remember a6 to stop Nb5. Beginners should start with Qa5.

Do strong players ever play the Scandinavian?

Yes. It's rarer than the Sicilian, but it has shown up even in world-championship-level games, especially when a player wants to sidestep the opponent's preparation.

Try it yourself

Use the button below to start a game against the computer from the Scandinavian Defense position. Remember to put the black queen somewhere safe. To see other openings, go back to the openings guide. For something different, head back to the free chess online home page.

Play this opening against the computer

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