1.e4 — the open games
Scandinavian Defence
1.e4 d5ECO B01
Black challenges the centre at once with 1…d5. After 2.exd5 Qxd5 the queen comes out early but is chased to a safe square, leaving Black with a solid, easy-to-learn structure and no long theory to memorise.
Key ideas
- 1…d5 strikes at e4 immediately and trades White's centre pawn off.
- After 3.Nc3 the queen retreats to a5, d6 or d8 and Black develops with …Nf6, …c6 and …Bf5 or …Bg4.
- The pawn on c6 gives the queen a home and shores up d5 — the whole setup is compact and hard to break.
Who it suits
Players who want a solid, low-theory answer to 1.e4 that reaches the same reliable position again and again.
Add it to your repertoire.
Drill the Scandinavian Defence move by move against the board until it's second nature.
Open the trainer