🪴 Quartz 4.0

Scandinavian Defense

2 min read

self-taught
Opening for Black.
The main ideas are long castle and launching (opponent) king side attacks.

Exchange Variations

Main Line

  1. e4 d5
  2. exd5 Qxd5
  3. Nc3 Qa5
  4. d4 Nf6
  5. Nf3 Bg4
    notes:
    1. g4 bishop can remain trapped, takin the f3 knight is easier
    2. after Bxf3 and Qxf3, b7 is hanging!!
fen: rnb1kbnr/pp2pppp/2p5/q7/8/2N2N2/PPPP1PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 5

Quick Long castle Line

Here, instead of playing Nc3, white plays Nf3, not attacking black’s queen, as black we play Bg4, Nc6 and long castle:

  1. e4 d5
  2. exd5 Qxd5
  3. Nf3 Bg4
  4. Be2 Nc6
  5. O-O O-O-O
    if instead of 4. Be2, white plays 4. Nc3:
    4. Nc3 Qe6
    5. Qe2 Nc6
    and then we long castle
fen: 2kr1bnr/ppp1pppp/2n5/3q4/6b1/5N2/PPPPBPPP/RNBQ1RK1 w - - 6 6

Slow Long Castle Line

Here, instead of Qa5, the queen goes to d6:

  1. e4 d5
  2. exd5 Qxd5
  3. Nc3 Qd6
  4. d4 Nf6
  5. Nf3 a6
    notes:
    after Nc3 it is imperative to play a6, as to not allow Nb5
fen: rnb1kb1r/1pp1pppp/p2q1n2/8/3P4/2N2N2/PPP2PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 6

now we bring the c8 bishop out, the b8 knight goes to c6, and we long castle.
The best response for white is g3, to put the bishop in g2 and support the black square bishop in f4.

fen: 2kr1b1r/1pp1pppp/p1nq1n2/8/3P2b1/2N2NP1/PPP2PBP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 5 9

Advance Variation

If after d5, white advances the pawn to e5, we can transpose to the Karo Kann Defense.

Graph View

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