Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Intermezzo Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6
The Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Intermezzo Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C45, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6. It is a line of the Scotch Game. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 3,152 times by this move order. White won 44%, 4% were drawn and Black won 52%. The most popular continuation is 6. Qf3 (30% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.02 (Stockfish, depth 61; best line 6. Qf3 bxc6 7. Nc3 Bd4 8. Be2 Qxf3)
- ECO
- C45
- Moves
- 10 plies
- FEN
r1b1k1nr/pppp1ppp/2N2q2/2b5/4P3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 6- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 919 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,873 | |
| 2000+ | 360 | |
| All | 3,152 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 6. Qf3 | 945 (30%) | |
| 6. Qe2 | 643 (20%) | |
| 6. Be3 | 554 (18%) | |
| 6. f3 | 374 (12%) | |
| 6. Qd2 | 353 (11%) | |
| 6. Nc3 | 64 (2%) | |
| 6. Nd4 | 49 (2%) | |
| 6. Bd3 | 44 (1%) |
Master games
1,210 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 27%, Black 34%). The strongest:
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2784) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2835) 1-0 · Chessbrah Inv May 2020 · 2020-05-15
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2730) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2881) 1/2-1/2 · FIDE World Blitz 2014 · 2014-06-19
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2863) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2736) 1-0 · Lindores Abbey Final 8 · 2020-05-28
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2732) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2832) 1/2-1/2 · GCT Rapid YourNextMove · 2017-06-30
- GM Ian Nepomniachtchi (2705) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2850) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid 2015 · 2015-10-11
Highest-rated Lichess games
- kuhmft (2841) – Chess1Love0 (2790) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- kuhmft (2846) – Superstitions_Guy (2735) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- JelenaZ (2585) – Superstitions_Guy (2797) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Scotch Game: Classical Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
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.