Chess opening · ECO C44
Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit
The Scotch Gambit starts like the Scotch. On move four White skips the recapture on d4 and develops the light-squared bishop to c4. Black is a pawn up for the moment. White is betting on time: the bishop already looks at f7, castling is one move away, and the d4 pawn can often be collected later or traded for more open lines with c3.
- Rank by weighted share
- #117 of 159
- Material
- Black +1
Key moves
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4
- 3. d4The central push asks Black to decide about e5 right away. Black takes, which leaves a black pawn on d4 and White's e4 pawn alone in the middle, with open lines for a side that plans to develop quickly.
- 4. Bc4White leaves the black pawn on d4 and brings out the bishop instead. From c4 it hits f7, the square only the black king guards, and clears the way for kingside castling next move.
What 4...h6 does about g5
With the bishop on c4, a knight jump to g5 would put two white pieces on f7. The quiet 4...h6 takes the g5 square from the knight, so Black can develop without worrying about that square.
Other replies meet the same issue in a different way. 4...Bc5 guards d4 and develops, and after 5.Ng5 the reply ...Nh6 brings a second defender to f7.
A trick after 4...Bc5 5.c3
If White offers the c-pawn with 5.c3 and Black grabs it with ...dxc3, then 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qd5+ checks the king and attacks the c5 bishop at the same time. After the king steps away, Qxc5 wins the piece back, and Black's king has lost the right to castle.
The e5 push against ...Nf6
4... Nf6 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4 7. Nxd4 Bd7
White kicks the f6 knight, and Black answers by hitting the c4 bishop with ...d5. The bishop moves to b5, where it pins the c6 knight to the king, and Nxd4 brings material back to level. Black breaks the pin with ...Bd7, keeping a knight posted on e4.
Top replies by rating
From 1200 to 1599 the pawn move h6 leads. From 1800 up Nf6 takes over, and its share grows again at 2000 and up.
| Rating | Top | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1200–1399 | h6 28% | Bc5 23% | Nf6 22% |
| 1400–1599 | h6 28% | Nf6 20% | Bc5 18% |
| 1600–1799 | Bc5 22% | Nf6 21% | h6 20% |
| 1800–1999 | Nf6 38% | Bc5 23% | h6 10% |
| 2000 and up | Nf6 51% | Bc5 27% | d6 14% |
Related openings
Try it on the board. The first coached game and three analyses are free.