Scandinavian Defense

Main ideas

Pawn structure

After 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 the center is cleared at once: White keeps the d-pawn, Black has given up the e4-d5 tension. In the main lines Black sets up with pawns on c6 and e6, a solid structure with the light-squared bishop developed outside the chain, while White has a small space edge and slightly quicker development. White's d4 pawn is the only central pawn left, so the typical middlegame plans revolve around it: White uses it to gain space with c3 or c4 and sometimes d5, while Black aims to blockade or undermine it with ...c5 or ...e5 at the right moment.

Traps and common mistakes

Moving the queen too often

After 2...Qxd5 3. Nc3 the queen already has to move once. Spending more time on it later, for instance with an early ...Qe5+, lets White develop with gain of time and attack before Black has castled.

Losing the bishop on f5

In the main line, Black's bishop on f5 can be chased by Nh4 or g4. Have a retreat ready on g6 (with ...h6 if needed) so the bishop isn't trapped.

Who should play the Scandinavian Defense?

Players with Black who want a simple, forcing answer to 1. e4 with little theory and a clear structure. It is a common choice in master games too, and it takes White out of their preparation straight away.

History

It is often called the oldest recorded opening: it appears in a game between Francesc de Castellví and Narcís Vinyoles described in the Catalan poem Scachs d'amor, written in Valencia around 1475. Its name honors late-19th-century Scandinavian analysts such as Ludvig Collijn, who showed it was playable; in English it was long called the Center Counter Defense. Viswanathan Anand played it against Garry Kasparov in game 14 of their 1995 world championship match, its first appearance in a title match; he got a good position but lost. Bent Larsen beat Anatoly Karpov with it in 1979, Magnus Carlsen has used it, and Sergei Tiviakov has played it throughout his career.