Scotch Gambit: Ultimate Guide To The Scotch Gambit Chess Opening

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 *

[caption id="attachment_3626" align="alignnone" width="800"] Scotch Gambit Main Line[/caption] The Scotch Gambit is a variation of the Scotch Game opening played with the White pieces. Scotch Gambit Main Line Here's the sequence for the main line. [pgn] [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 * [/pgn] Main Lines In Response To Black Let's go over the main lines to play depending on what Black plays after 4. Bc4 If Black Plays 4...Bc5 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4

4...Bc5

[pgn] [Event "?"] [Site "?"] [Date "????.??.??"] [Round "?"] [White "?"] [Black "?"] [Result "*"] 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 {Black plays Bishop to c5 to defend the extra pawn and prepares to castle after Nf6 and d6. All very common. In this case, 5. c3} 5. c3 {Now Black has 3 main options, A 5...dxc3 B 5...d3 C 5...Nf6} 5...dxc3 ({A} 5...dxc3 {White wins material} 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qd5+ Kf8 8.Qxc5+ d6 (8...Qe7 9.Qxc3 Qxe4+ 10.Be3 d6 {this position is considered equal, White has gained enough compensation for the pawn. Black's King is exposed and the Rook in the corner needs to get a life, however there's not much for Black to sweat over since White isn't able to generate a powerful attack yet.}) {Back to the position after 8....d6. This position is equal, to see how White can continue from here, the game between Sveshnikov-Kupreichik is a good example. The following moves were...} 9.Qc4 Bg4 (9...cxb2 10.Bxb2 {White commonly generates an attack here}) 10.Nxc3 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Qf6 12.f4 Qf7 13.Qb5 Nd4 14.Qd3 Ne6 15.f5 Nc5 16.Qc2 Qc4 17.Be3 Nf6 18.0-0-0 Re8 19.f3 Ncd7 20.Rd4 Qc6 21.Kb1 Re7 22.Qe2 Ne5 23.Bg5 Qc5 24.Rhd1 Nc6 25.Rc4 Qe5 26.Nd5 Rf7 27.Bf4 Qe8 28.Nxc7! Rxc7 29.Bxd6+ Re7 30.e5 Nd7 31.f4 h5 32.Qd3 Rh6 33.Bxe7+ Kxe7 34.Qa3+ Kf7 35.e6+ Rxe6 36.fxe6+ {Black resigned shortly after this.lack soon resigned.}) ({B} 5...d3 {This move was suggested as a response to 5.c3. It stops White from developing a center pawn with cxd4 while also hindering the Knight on b1. So White shifts to trying to control more space on the Queenside.} 6.b4 Bb6 7.Qb3 Qf6 8.0-0 d6 9.a4 a6 10.a5 Ba7 11.b5! 12.Nxe5) ({c} 5...Nf6 {in this third option Black has to respond to 5.c3, the line morphs into the Guicco Piano.} 6.cxd4 Bb4+) 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Qd5+ Kf8 8. Qxc5+ d6 9. Qc4 Bg4 10. Nxc3 Bxf3 11. gxf3 Qf6 12. f4 Qf7 13. Qb5 Nd4 14. Qd3 Ne6 15. f5 Nc5 16. Qc2 Qc4 17. Be3 Nf6 18. O-O-O Re8 * [/pgn] I hope this tutorial on the Scotch Gambit opening helped you. If you like tutorials on Chess Gambits like this, you might also be interested in reading the guide on the Budapest Gambit and the Evans Gambit .