Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5
The Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C44, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5. It is a line of the Scotch Game. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 9,910 times by this move order. White won 56%, 4% were drawn and Black won 40%. The most popular continuation is 5. c3 (74% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.20 (Stockfish, depth 65; best line 5. c3 Nf6 6. e5 d5 7. Bb5 Ne4)
- ECO
- C44
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/2b5/2BpP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 2 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3,534 | |
| 1500-1999 | 5,557 | |
| 2000+ | 819 | |
| All | 9,910 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. c3 | 7,312 (74%) | |
| 5. Ng5 Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation | 1,296 (13%) | |
| 5. O-O | 1,032 (10%) | |
| 5. Bxf7+ | 142 (1%) | |
| 5. e5 | 38 (0%) | |
| 5. Bg5 | 23 (0%) | |
| 5. Bf4 | 14 (0%) | |
| 5. Nc3 | 10 (0%) |
Master games
1,436 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 41%, draw 17%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- GM Maxime Vachier-Lagrave (2796) – GM Vladimir Kramnik (2808) 0-1 · GCT Blitz YourNextMove · 2017-07-02
- GM Teimour Radjabov (2788) – GM Sergey Karjakin (2779) 0-1 · World Rapid Final · 2012-07-08
- GM Gawain C B Maroroa Jones (2661) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2829) 0-1 · 6th LCC Super Rapidplay Open 2014 · 2014-12-06
- GM Rauf Mamedov (2656) – GM Sergey Karjakin (2743) 1/2-1/2 · 7th Gashimov Mem Rapid · 2021-12-21
- GM Vladislav Kovalev (2623) – GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2757) 0-1 · CGC KO 2022 · 2022-09-16
Search all games of the Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM Alexboy14 (2741) – Mysterious_Spy (2765) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- NM Pliukha_Mikhail (2732) – Kruciatos (2753) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- discasting (2607) – IM mmsanchezchess (2719) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4
Continuations
- Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Sarratt Variation C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. Ng5
- Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Cochrane-Anderssen Variation C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. O-O d6 6. c3 Bg4
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Max Lange Attack, Loman Defense C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5 5. O-O Nf6 6. e5 d5 7. exf6 dxc4 8. Re1+ Be6 9. Ng5 g6
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: Lolli Variation (3. d4 Nxd4) C44
- Scotch Game: Lolli Variation (4… exd4 5. Qxd4) 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.