Piece Pattern Atlas
Scandinavian Defense
Where each piece lives in the middlegame that follows, drawn from 29,486 real games.
Its usual journeys
- d8 · stays home3,232 games
- d8–d5–d81,946 games
- d8–d1764 games
- d8–d5–a5–c7703 games
When it leaves the board
Usually traded around move 15.
Survives past move 30 in 48% of games.
Most common end: d1, move 4 (351 games).
What its fate costs
Traded early (by move 8): Black wins 44%. Kept: 49%. (n=2,927 / 26,559)
When it reaches a5: Black wins 48%. When it never does: 48%. (n=6,778 / 22,708)
The choice
Move 3: Qa5 or Qd8?
Same opening, two futures for the queen. Real games, side by side.
Qa5
After Qa5, the queen spends 44% of the middlegame on a5; after Qd8, 1%. Black scores 47% here (n=4,556).
Qd8
After Qd8, the queen spends 75% of the middlegame on d8; after Qa5, 5%. Black scores 47% here (n=3,732).