Scotch Game: Lolli Variation (3. d4 Nxd4)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4
The Scotch Game: Lolli Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C44, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4. It is a line of the Scotch Game. White is to move. 2 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 4,960 times by this move order. White won 55%, 5% were drawn and Black won 40%. The most popular continuation is 4. Nxd4 (78% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.46 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Qxd4 Qf6 6. Qe3 Bb4+)
- ECO
- C44
- Moves
- 6 plies
- FEN
r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/8/4p3/3nP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3,276 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,606 | |
| 2000+ | 78 | |
| All | 4,960 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4. Nxd4 | 3,849 (78%) | |
| 4. Nxe5 | 591 (12%) | |
| 4. Ng5 | 260 (5%) | |
| 4. Bc4 | 178 (4%) | |
| 4. c3 | 56 (1%) | |
| 4. Bg5 | 7 (0%) | |
| 4. Nc3 | 7 (0%) | |
| 4. Qxd4 | 4 (0%) |
Master games
9 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 89%, draw 11%, Black 0%). The strongest:
- Mario Felipe Constanzo Vivanco (2008) – Gawande Sumeet (1360) 1/2-1/2 · 1st FIDE World Uni BlitzA · 2021-03-13
- Antony Jesumarian Leslie (1657) – Ady Aouili (1267) 1-0 · 1st BICA Pawn Open 2021 · 2021-12-25
- Hjorleifur Halldorsson (1773) – Soffia Arndis Berndsen (1031) 1-0 · GAMMA Reykjavik Open 2019 · 2019-04-08
- Bjartur Thorisson (1202) – Soffia Arndis Berndsen (1042) 1-0 · Reykjavik Congress 2019 · 2019-01-23
Search all games of the Scotch Game: Lolli Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM profaVa (2390) – Underground_Chess23 (2258) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- Rabiel29 (2331) – LiniSamuel (2263) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 600 + 0s
- C0oney (2282) – Kaspicip (2266) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Scotch Game (2… Nc6 3. d4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4
Continuations
- Scotch Game: Lolli Variation (4… exd4 5. Qxd4) C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Qxd4
- Scotch Game: Napoleon Gambit C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 Nxd4 4. Nxd4 exd4 5. Bc4
More Scotch Game lines (all)
- 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: 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.