Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e5/2. Nf3/2...Nc6/3. d4/3...exd4/4. Bc4

(Redirected from Chess/Scotch Gambit)
Scotch Gambit
a b c d e f g h
8a8 black rookb8 black kingc8 black bishopd8 black queene8 black kingf8 black bishopg8 black knighth8 black rook8
7a7 black pawnb7 black pawnc7 black pawnd7 black pawne7 black kingf7 black pawng7 black pawnh7 black pawn7
6a6 black kingb6 black kingc6 black knightd6 black kinge6 black kingf6 black kingg6 black kingh6 black king6
5a5 black kingb5 black kingc5 black kingd5 black kinge5 black kingf5 black kingg5 black kingh5 black king5
4a4 black kingb4 black kingc4 white bishopd4 black pawne4 white pawnf4 black kingg4 black kingh4 black king4
3a3 black kingb3 black kingc3 black kingd3 black kinge3 black kingf3 white knightg3 black kingh3 black king3
2a2 white pawnb2 white pawnc2 white pawnd2 black kinge2 black kingf2 white pawng2 white pawnh2 white pawn2
1a1 white rookb1 white knightc1 white bishopd1 white queene1 white kingf1 black kingg1 black kingh1 white rook1
a b c d e f g h
Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN)
Moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4

Scotch Gambit

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Black can continue the Scotch with 4...Bc5 5.c3 and now 5...Nf6 will transpose into a safe variation of the Giuoco Piano. But after the move Bc5 there is the move Ng5, the so called Saratt Variation, where white threatens to play Nxf7 forking the Queen and the Rook, Alternatively, he can transpose into the Two Knights Defense with 4...Nf6 and White has now two sound options: the obvious 5. e5 and 5. O-O. In the first case 5. e5 white goes for maintaining a strong center and an open game with chances for both sides. 5. O-O gives away the pawn, and while taking it might seem risky due to 6.. Re1 it's perfectly sound, and white will only get his pawn back.

Black can instead accept the gambit with 5...dxc3 but this is riskier because White will gain a lead in development. A possible continuation is 6.Nxc3 (Grandmaster Sveshnikov has played 6.Bxf7+!? Kxf7 7.Qd5+ followed by 8.Qxc5 recommended in Chess Openings for White, explained) 6...d6 7.Qb3 Qd7 8.Nd5 Nge7 9.Qc3 0-0.Göring Gambit'. This gambit is quite similar to the Danish Gambit.

Theory table

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For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation..

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4

4 5
Two Knights Defence
by transposition
Bc4
Nf6
= to 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4
Scotch Gambit ...
Bc5
c3
Nf6
=
Hungarian Defence
by transposition
...
Be7

= to 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Be7 4. d4 exd4

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References

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