Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts Defense
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6
The Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO B01, reached after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6. It is a line of the Scandinavian Defense. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 14,660 times by this move order. White won 47%, 5% were drawn and Black won 48%. The most popular continuation is 4. Nf3 (42% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.53 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6 6. Be2 Bf5)
- ECO
- B01
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
rnb1kbnr/ppp1pppp/3q4/8/8/2N5/PPPP1PPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 2 4- PGN
1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 4,593 | |
| 1500-1999 | 7,307 | |
| 2000+ | 2,760 | |
| All | 14,660 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Nf3 | 6,179 (42%) | |
| 4. d4 | 4,800 (33%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 1,455 (10%) | |
| 4. d3 | 538 (4%) | |
| 4. Nb5 | 289 (2%) | |
| 4. g3 | 278 (2%) | |
| 4. Be2 | 229 (2%) | |
| 4. Bb5+ | 220 (2%) |
Master games
7,214 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 43%, draw 23%, Black 34%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) – Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-23
- Stockfish dev-20250118-8e3e22b (3683) – LCZero 0.31-dag-c93c6a8-BT4-61 (3652) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 27 Theory Bonus · 2025-01-23
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) – Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-02
- Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) – LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) 1-0 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-02
- RubiChess 20230823 (3508) – Ethereal 14.24 (3535) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 25 Premier 2023 · 2023-09-06
Search all games of the Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Lifvix01 (2804) – FM alexcoach (2600) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- CM JoeAssaad (2663) – Vnebo (2702) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- IM Apex960 (2674) – AbcD7-34-6 (2648) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Scandinavian Defense: Mieses-Kotroc Variation 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5
Continuations
- Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation B01 · 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 c6
- Scandinavian Defense: Bronstein Variation B01 · 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6
- Scandinavian Defense: Schiller-Pytel Variation, Modern Variation B01 · 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Bc4 c6 6. Nge2 Bf5 7. Bf4 Qb4
More Scandinavian Defense lines (all)
- Scandinavian Defense (1. e4 d5) B01
- Scandinavian Defense (1… d5 2. b3) B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Collijn Variation B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Goteborg System B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Anderssen Counterattack, Orthodox Attack B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne Gambit B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Boehnke Gambit B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Classical Variation B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Grünfeld Variation B01
- Scandinavian Defense: Icelandic-Palme Gambit B01
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.