B01 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black
Scandinavian Defense: Main Line
6/6
1.e4d52.exd5Qxd53.Nc3Qa5
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
Scandinavian Defense: Main Line16.7M games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
37%6.2M50%
33%5.5M48%
12%1.9M51%
6.1%1.0M47%
1.2%194k52%
1%163k50%
0.9%153k47%
0.8%139k47%
0.8%132k46%
Famous games in this line7.8k master games
Caruana, F. (2805) – Carlsen, M. (2876)Firouzja, Alireza (2759) – Carlsen, M. (2847)Dominguez Perez, L. (2758) – Carlsen, M. (2847)Caruana, F. (2819) – Mamedyarov, S. (2774)Caruana, F. (2811) – Nakamura, Hi (2776)Anand, Viswanathan (2786) – Nakamura, Hikaru (2784)Firouzja, Alireza (2767) – Nakamura, Hi (2802)Firouzja, Alireza (2767) – Nakamura, Hi (2802)Heroes of this opening Firouzja, Alireza
- Family
- Scandinavian Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- B01
- Line
- 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
Scandinavian Defense: Main Line, Leonhardt GambitB01 4.b4Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen CounterattackB01 4.d4 e5 · 3 deeper linesScandinavian Defense: Main Line, Mieses VariationB01 4.d4 Nf6 · 3 deeper linesScandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Goteborg SystemB01 4.d4 e5 5.Nf3 · 1 deeper line
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
The oldest recorded game of modern chess — Valencia, 1475, 'Scachs d'amor' — opened 1.e4 d5. Five centuries later the Scandinavian is still the most direct answer to 1.e4: force matters immediately, accept the early queen move, and rely on a rock-solid structure. Larsen even used it to beat Karpov.
Study this opening