Scotch Game: Göring Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3
The Scotch Game: Göring Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C44, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3. It is a line of the Scotch Game. Black is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 11,832 times by this move order. White won 55%, 4% were drawn and Black won 41%. The most popular continuation is 4… dxc3 (70% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.11 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 4… dxc3 5. Nxc3 Bc5 6. Bc4 d6 7. O-O)
- ECO
- C44
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/8/3pP3/2P2N2/PP3PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3,569 | |
| 1500-1999 | 6,822 | |
| 2000+ | 1,441 | |
| All | 11,832 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… dxc3 | 8,259 (70%) | |
| 4… d5 Scotch Gambit, Göring Gambit Declined | 955 (8%) | |
| 4… Nf6 | 668 (6%) | |
| 4… Bc5 | 566 (5%) | |
| 4… d6 | 551 (5%) | |
| 4… d3 | 443 (4%) | |
| 4… Qe7 | 93 (1%) | |
| 4… Be7 | 73 (1%) |
Master games
388 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 14%, Black 41%). The strongest:
- GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2627) – GM Grigoriy Oparin (2652) 1/2-1/2 · Chess24 Banter QualF 2020 · 2020-09-14
- IM Matvey Galchenko (2435) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2810) 0-1 · Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 · 2026-01-13
- GM Klementy Sychev (2537) – GM Daniil Dubov (2701) 1-0 · Titled Tue 16th Jul Early · 2024-07-16
- GM Maksim Chigaev (2631) – GM Eric Hansen (2606) 0-1 · Titled Arena Mar 6th 2021 · 2021-03-06
- GM Al Modiahki, M. (2542) – GM Haik M. Martirosyan (2635) 0-1 · FIDE World Bl Team Final · 2025-06-15
Search all games of the Scotch Game: Göring Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM Guary1 (2864) – GgangbuVip (2692) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- HighQualityO (2699) – GM tjychess (2834) 0-1 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- HighQualityO (2695) – slouuurps (2669) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Scotch Game (3. d4 exd4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4
Continuations
- Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Göring Gambit Declined C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 d5
- Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Double Pawn Sacrifice C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Bc4
- Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 Bb4
- Scotch Game: Sea-Cadet Mate C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. c3 dxc3 5. Nxc3 d6 6. Bc4 Bg4 7. O-O Ne5 8. Nxe5 Bxd1 9. Bxf7+ Ke7 10. Nd5#
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, Bardeleben Variation 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
- Scotch Game: Napoleon Gambit C44
- Scotch Game: Relfsson Gambit C44
- Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit 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.