Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Millennium Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6
The Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Millennium Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C45, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6. 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 92 times by this move order. White won 46%, 5% were drawn and Black won 49%. The most popular continuation is 7. Nd2 (37% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 62; best line 7. Qd3 a6 8. Nxc6 Qxc6 9. c4 Nf6)
- ECO
- C45
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1b1k1nr/pppp1ppp/2n3q1/2b5/3NP3/2P1B3/PP3PPP/RN1QKB1R w KQkq - 1 7- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 2 | |
| 1500-1999 | 67 | |
| 2000+ | 23 | |
| All | 92 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Nd2 | 34 (37%) | |
| 7. Qf3 | 16 (17%) | |
| 7. Nxc6 | 12 (13%) | |
| 7. f3 | 9 (10%) | |
| 7. Qc2 | 5 (5%) | |
| 7. Bd3 | 5 (5%) | |
| 7. Qd3 | 5 (5%) | |
| 7. a4 | 1 (1%) |
Master games
74 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 36%, draw 29%, Black 35%). The strongest:
- GM Dmitry Andreikin (2725) – GM Vladislav Artemiev (2709) 1/2-1/2 · Artemiev-Andreikin Blitz · 2021-03-03
- GM Viktor Gazik (2556) – GM Anton Demchenko (2628) 1/2-1/2 · 25th European Teams · 2025-10-13
- GM Ilia Iljiushenok (2520) – GM Vasif Durarbayli (2637) 0-1 · TCh-TUR Super League 2019 · 2019-07-21
- IM Augustin Droin (2480) – GM Tuan Minh Le (2598) 1/2-1/2 · World Blitz 2025 · 2025-12-30
- GM Chithambaram VR. Aravindh (2703) – IM Richard Leyva Proenza (2333) 1-0 · Titled Tue 27th Aug Late · 2024-08-27
Highest-rated Lichess games
- harrypotter619 (2413) – HarryPotterchess-1 (2443) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- josemmvic (2262) – HarryPotterchess-1 (2421) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Slavoljub1953 (2249) – No_soy_yo (2290) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 600 + 5s
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.