Scandinavian Defense

1. 1

   Challenge e4 on move one

   1.e4 d5

   Black attacks the e4 pawn straight away. White cannot keep a pawn on e4 comfortably (2.e5 gives up the centre's flexibility and 2.Nc3 allows 2...d4), so almost every game goes 2.exd5 and White's e-pawn disappears. White will never get the classical e4+d4 centre that most 1.e4 defences have to deal with.

2. 2

   The price: the queen is chased

   1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3

   Recapturing with the queen is natural, but 3.Nc3 hits her at once and White develops with tempo. Black has to spend a second queen move, so White is ahead in development for most of the opening. That is the deal Black accepts: a tempo in exchange for easy development and a sound pawn structure.

3. 3

   Qa5: active, safe and pinning

   3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6

   On a5 the queen cannot be hit by a minor piece right away, she pins the c3 knight once White's d-pawn has left d2, and she watches the kingside along the fifth rank. The quiet ...c6 is essential: it takes b5 and d5 from White's knights and gives the queen a way home via c7 or d8.

4. 4

   Bishop out before ...e6

   5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Bd2 e6

   The light-squared bishop comes to f5 (or g4) before ...e6 locks it in. The result is the same healthy structure as the Caro-Kann: pawns on c6 and e6, no weaknesses, and every piece with a clear square. Black can castle on either side depending on where White puts the king.

5. 5

   White's trick: Bd2 and a knight jump

   2...Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bd2

   The bishop on d2 lines up with the queen on a5 behind the c3 knight. From now on every knight move (Nd5, Nb5, Ne4) uncovers an attack on the queen, and the knight can hit c7 or f6 at the same moment. Before each move in this line, Black should ask what happens if the c3 knight jumps.

6. 6

   The pawns the queen stopped guarding: f7 and b7

   2...Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bc4

   With the queen gone from d8, f7 has only the king defending it, so a bishop on c4 plus a knight jump to g5 or e5 is a constant threat. And once Black's light bishop leaves c8, nothing guards b7: a white bishop on the long diagonal (f3 or g2) or a queen on f3 simply takes it, often with the a8 rook to follow.

7. 7

   The Modern Scandinavian: the knight recaptures

   2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6

   With 2...Nf6 Black develops first and takes back on d5 with the knight, so the queen is never chased. The cost is space: White can kick the knight with c4 and build a broad centre. Black then plays against it with ...Bg4, ...Nc6 and ...e5 or ...c5, a very different game from the queen lines.

These are the patterns worth knowing. For the full count, see the Scandinavian Defense mistakes players make most often at each rating.

1. 1

   Black: the Caro-Kann setup, then choose a side to castle

   7.Bd2 e6 8.Qe2 Bb4 9.O-O-O Nbd7

   With pawns on c6 and e6 and the bishop outside the chain, Black's position has no weaknesses. The pin with ...Bb4 takes the sting out of Nd5 tricks, and ...Nbd7 prepares ...Nb6 or ...Nd5. If White castles long, Black often castles short and counterattacks on the queenside with ...b5, where White's king now lives.

2. 2

   White: Nd5 to break up the kingside

   7.Bd2 e6 8.Nd5 Qd8 9.Nxf6+ Qxf6

   White's most direct idea is to trade the c3 knight for Black's key defender on f6 using the Bd2 discovered attack. Black keeps a solid game, but has to be precise: if the recapture leaves weak pawns or the queen misplaced, White's lead in development starts to tell with Qe2 and long castling.

3. 3

   Black (Qd6): ...a6, ...Bg4, ...Nc6 and long castling

   6.g3 Bg4 7.Bg2 Nc6 8.O-O O-O-O

   In the Gubinsky-Melts Black takes b5 away with ...a6, develops quickly and castles long, putting heavy pressure on d4 with the queen, the c6 knight and the rook on d8. The break ...e5 comes once it is fully prepared. White answers with a queenside pawn storm against Black's king.

4. 4

   White (vs Qd8): the bishop pair and the long diagonal

   8.Be3 e6 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.O-O Bd6

   Against the passive queen retreat White asks the g4 bishop a question with h3 and takes the bishop pair. With extra development and two bishops, White can build up calmly: Rad1/Rfe1, then a timely d5 or Ne4 to open lines. Black's task is to trade pieces and reach a safe, slightly worse endgame.

5. 5

   Black (Modern): pressure on d4 from a distance

   5...g6 6.Nc3 Bg7 7.h3 O-O 8.Be3

   When White takes space with c4 and d4, Black does not try to hold a pawn in the centre. The fianchettoed bishop, the b6 knight and later ...Nc6 and ...Bg4 or ...Bf5 all aim at d4, and the breaks ...c5 or ...e5 test whether White's centre is strong or just a target.