Scotch Game (3… exd4 4. Nxd4)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4
The Scotch Game is a chess opening classified as ECO C45, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4. Black is to move. 5 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 122,999 times by this move order. White won 52%, 4% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 4… Nxd4 (42% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.06 (Stockfish, depth 60; best line 4… Nf6 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Nxc6 bxc6 7. Bd3)
- ECO
- C45
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/8/3NP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 53,598 | |
| 1500-1999 | 61,529 | |
| 2000+ | 7,872 | |
| All | 122,999 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… Nxd4 | 52,248 (42%) | |
| 4… Bc5 Classical Variation | 27,232 (22%) | |
| 4… Nf6 Schmidt Variation | 15,516 (13%) | |
| 4… Qf6 | 7,135 (6%) | |
| 4… d6 | 5,828 (5%) | |
| 4… Ne5 | 3,901 (3%) | |
| 4… Nge7 | 2,681 (2%) | |
| 4… Qh4 Steinitz Variation (4. Nxd4 Qh4) | 2,167 (2%) |
Master games
2,983 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 46%, draw 19%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- GM Erigaisi Arjun (2776) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2839) 0-1 · Titled Tue 8th Jul Early · 2025-07-08
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2749) 1-0 · Magnus-Alireza 27th Feb · 2021-02-27
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) – GM Alireza Firouzja (2749) 1/2-1/2 · Magnus-Alireza 27th Feb · 2021-02-27
- GM Yangyi Yu (2675) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2881) 0-1 · FIDE World Rapid 2014 · 2014-06-18
- GM Alexander Morozevich (2770) – GM Vasyl Ivanchuk (2769) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid Final · 2012-07-07
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Nana_jede_cevape (2891) – NM Andrey11976 (2793) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Nana_jede_cevape (2879) – NM Andrey11976 (2804) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- kuhmft (2855) – vistagusta (2827) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Scotch Game (3. d4 exd4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4
Continuations
- Scotch Game: Classical Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
- Scotch Game: Malaniuk Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bb4+
- Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6
- Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation (4. Nxd4 Qh4) C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4
- Scotch Game: Ghulam-Kassim Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 5. Qxd4 d6 6. Bd3
More Scotch Game lines (all)
- Scotch Game (2… Nc6 3. d4) C44
- Scotch Game: Benima Defense C44
- Scotch Game: Cochrane Variation C44
- Scotch Game: Cochrane-Shumov Defense C44
- Scotch Game: Göring Gambit C44
- Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Bardeleben Variation C44
- Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Double Pawn Sacrifice C44
- Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line C44
- Scotch Game: Hanneken Variation C44
- Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit C44
- Scotch Game: Lolli Variation (3. d4 Nxd4) C44
- Scotch Game: Lolli Variation (4… exd4 5. Qxd4) C44
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.