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 Gambit4.b4Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack4.d4 e5 · 3 deeper linesScandinavian Defense: Main Line, Mieses Variation4.d4 Nf6 · 3 deeper linesScandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Goteborg System4.d4 e5 5.Nf3 · 1 deeper line
Nearby lines in the family
From the archives
'Scachs d'amor', a Valencian poem of about 1475, carries the earliest known game played by modern rules, and it opens 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, rely on a solid structure. Larsen beat the reigning world champion Karpov with it at Montreal 1979.
Study this opening