Chess opening · ECO B01
Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc Variation
2...Qxd5, the queen recapture, is the Mieses-Kotroc Variation. Material is level again, but Black's queen now stands on an open board where White's pieces can attack it. Nearly everything that follows is about where the queen goes after 3.Nc3 and how much time White gains while chasing it.
- Rank by weighted share
- #22 of 159
Key moves
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5
- 2... Qxd5The queen takes back and lands on d5, from where it looks down the diagonals toward a2 and g2. Both pawns are guarded, by the a1 rook and the f1 bishop, so there is no immediate threat. The cost is that the queen can be hit by a developing knight.
Three squares after 3.Nc3
The knight attacks the queen and develops at the same time. Black's main answers are ...Qa5, keeping the queen active on the e1-a5 diagonal, ...Qd6, where it stays central and covers e5 and b4, and ...Qd8, the fully safe retreat home.
Each retreat leads to its own structure. With ...Qa5 Black usually builds with ...c6 and ...Bf5. With ...Qd8 Black accepts a slower start in return for a queen that is hard to harass.
White's alternatives to Nc3
3.Nf3 and 3.d4 leave the queen alone for a move. White develops or takes the center first and plans to hit the queen later with Nc3. Against 3.d4, Black can bring out pieces with ...Nf6 and ...Bf5 or ...Bg4 while the queen stays on d5.
Top replies by rating
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 1200 | Nc3 78% | Nf3 5% | d4 5% |
| 1200–1399 | Nc3 80% | Nf3 6% | d4 4% |
| 1400–1599 | Nc3 80% | Nf3 8% | d4 6% |
| 1600–1799 | Nc3 73% | Nf3 12% | d4 9% |
| 1800–1999 | Nc3 73% | Nf3 11% | d4 11% |
| 2000 and up | Nc3 77% | d4 10% | Nf3 9% |
Questions
Why does Nc3 lead in every band?
It develops a knight to a square guarded by two pawns and attacks the queen in the same move. Black must spend the next move moving the queen again, so White gets a piece out for free.
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.