Scotch Game: Classical Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
The Scotch Game: Classical Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C45, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5. It is a line of the Scotch Game. White is to move. 7 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 27,232 times by this move order. White won 50%, 4% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 5. Nxc6 (44% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.22 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 5. Nb3 Bb6 6. Qe2 d6 7. Nc3 a5)
- ECO
- C45
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/2b5/3NP3/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 8,478 | |
| 1500-1999 | 15,871 | |
| 2000+ | 2,883 | |
| All | 27,232 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Nxc6 | 12,005 (44%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 10,285 (38%) | |
| 5. Nb3 Potter Variation | 2,806 (10%) | |
| 5. c3 | 1,204 (4%) | |
| 5. Nf5 | 511 (2%) | |
| 5. Nf3 | 241 (1%) | |
| 5. Nc3 | 49 (0%) | |
| 5. Bc4 | 33 (0%) |
Master games
2,550 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 22%, Black 37%). The strongest:
- Komodo 2576.00 (3505) – LCZero v0.26.2-rc1_J92-100 (3543) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-18
- LCZero v0.26.2-rc1_J92-100 (3543) – Komodo 2576.00 (3505) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-15
- GM Garry Kasparov (2812) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2795) 0-1 · Ultimate Blitz Challenge · 2016-04-29
- GM Garry Kasparov (2812) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) 1/2-1/2 · Ultimate Blitz Challenge · 2016-04-29
- GM Garry Kasparov (2812) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2787) 1-0 · Ultimate Blitz Challenge · 2016-04-29
Search all games of the Scotch Game: Classical Variation and its sub-variations
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
- Drogono (2843) – slouuurps (2732) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Scotch Game (3… exd4 4. Nxd4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4
Continuations
- Scotch Game: Potter Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3
- Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Intermezzo Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6
- Scotch Game: Blumenfeld Attack C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. Nb5
- Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Millennium Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Qg6
- Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Blackburne Attack C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Qd2
- Scotch Game: Meitner Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Nc2
- Scotch Game: Paulsen Attack C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Bb5
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.