Scotch Game (5… Bb4+ 6. Bd2)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2
The Scotch Game is a chess opening classified as ECO C45, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2. Black is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 6 times by this move order. White won 50%, 17% were drawn and Black won 33%. The most popular continuation is 6… Qxe4+ (50% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.17 (Stockfish, depth 40; best line 6… Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Kd8 8. O-O Bxd2 9. Nxd2)
- ECO
- C45
- Moves
- 11 plies
- FEN
r1b1k1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/1N6/1b2P2q/8/PPPB1PPP/RN1QKB1R b KQkq - 4 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 6 | |
| All | 6 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6… Qxe4+ | 3 (50%) | |
| 6… Bxd2+ | 2 (33%) | |
| 6… Bc5 | 1 (17%) |
Master games
8 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 38%, draw 24%, Black 38%). The strongest:
- IM Nodar Lortkipanidze (2382) – GM Raven Sturt (2459) 0-1 · Titled Tue 1st Sep 2026 · 2026-09-01
- GM Duc Hoa Nguyen (2500) – Tun Oo Win (2188) 1-0 · Myanmar Open 2015 · 2015-11-23
- David Bastar Vyprachticky (2279) – FM Zdenek Pokorny (2265) 1-0 · TCh-CZE 1 Liga Zapad · 2017-01-08
- CM Gabriel Lenoir Ibacache (2225) – FM Oleg Papayan (2253) 0-1 · Titled Tue 20th Jun Late · 2023-06-20
- Thomas Rattinger (2003) – FM Benjamin Dauth (2345) 0-1 · 28th Pula Open 2014 · 2014-06-11
Highest-rated Lichess games
- riverplatano (2289) – Kslbergerak (2378) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- riverplatano (2263) – Polisay (2263) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Banjan (2317) – Heunec (2192) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 300 + 0s
Comes from
Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5
Continuations
- Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack, Blackburne Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Kd8 8. O-O Bxd2 9. Qxd2
- Scotch Game: Rosenthal Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5 Bb4+ 6. Bd2 Qxe4+ 7. Be2 Kd8 8. O-O Bxd2 9. Nxd2 Qg6
More Scotch Game lines (all)
- Scotch Game (2… Nc6 3. d4) C44
- Scotch Game (3. d4 exd4) 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
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.