1.e4 d5
The Scandinavian Defense, also called the Center Counter, starts 1.e4 d5. Black attacks e4 immediately. After 2.exd5 Black usually recaptures with the queen, 2...Qxd5, and accepts that White will gain a tempo with 3.Nc3.
Bringing the queen out early breaks a basic opening rule, but here it works: the queen has safe squares on a5, d6 and d8, and Black's pawn structure is very healthy. Black's light-squared bishop also gets out to f5 or g4 before ...e6, as in the Caro-Kann.
The other main choice is 2...Nf6, delaying the recapture so that the knight can take on d5 later. It leads to sharper play, including the Portuguese Variation (3.d4 Bg4) and the Icelandic Gambit (3.c4 e6).
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It forces the game into Black's territory on move one: White cannot steer into the Ruy Lopez, the Open Sicilian or any other big 1.e4 system. The structure is healthy and the plan (...Nf6, ...Bf5 or ...Bg4, ...c6, ...e6) is easy to remember.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Bd2 e6
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After 2...Qxd5 the e4 and d5 pawns are gone. White's d4 pawn faces Black's c6 and e6 pawns, a small-centre structure similar to the Caro-Kann. It is healthy for Black: no weaknesses and no bad bishop.
White's advantage is space and development time. White wants to use it before Black completes ...Nbd7, ...Bb4 or ...Be7, and ...O-O. If Black castles safely, the game is usually balanced.
In the 2...Nf6 lines White can try to keep the d5 pawn with c4, but that often gives Black open lines and quick development in return.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 a6
The queen retreats to d6, a more central square. 5...a6 stops Nb5, which would otherwise hit the queen, and prepares ...b5 or ...Bg4. It has become a popular modern choice.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3
The safest retreat. Black gives up a little more time but keeps the queen away from attacks and aims for a Caro-Kann-like setup.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6
Black delays the recapture. After 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6, White has a big centre and Black plays against it with pieces, as in a hypermodern defence.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Bg4
After 2...Nf6 3.d4, Black ignores the d5 pawn and develops the bishop at once, offering the pawn for quick development. It leads to sharp, tactical play.
The Scandinavian is one of the oldest recorded defences. The oldest known game of modern chess, Castellví against Vinyoles in Valencia in 1475, opened with 1.e4 d5.
It takes its name from the Scandinavian players who analysed it in the 19th century. In modern times it has been a specialist's weapon: Grandmaster Sergei Tiviakov has played it for decades, and Viswanathan Anand used it in his 1995 world championship match against Garry Kasparov.
Copy the position at the end of the main line, open the chess move calculator, paste it into the “Paste FEN” box under the board and press the FEN button next to it. Stockfish 19 then suggests a move for the side to play, at the strength set on the calculator's slider, and you can play on from there to test your own ideas.
rn2kb1r/pp3ppp/2p1pn2/q4b2/2BP4/2N2N2/PPPB1PPP/R2QK2R w KQkq - 0 81. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2 e6For a move-by-move review of a whole game you played with this opening, use the chess analysis board.
Knowing the moves is not the same as playing them under pressure. Play chess against the computer with the black pieces and answer 1.e4 with the Scandinavian Defense, then sharpen the tactics that come out of it with chess puzzles.
Go deeper: How the knight moves · Chess endgame strategy
Yes. The plan is the same in most games (...Qa5 or ...Qd6, ...Nf6, ...c6, ...Bf5 or ...Bg4, ...e6), the pawn structure is healthy and there is little theory to memorise.
Usually, yes. In the Scandinavian the cost is one tempo after 3.Nc3, and in return Black gets an open position with no weaknesses and a free light-squared bishop. That trade is acceptable.
3...Qa5 is the classical choice, 3...Qd6 is the popular modern line, and 3...Qd8 is the most solid. All three are sound.
White can play 2.e5 or 2.Nc3 instead of taking, but those moves are less testing, so most players take with 2.exd5.
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