Scotch Game: Meitner Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Nc2
The Scotch Game: Meitner 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 Nge7 7. Nc2. It is a line of the Scotch Game. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 36 times by this move order. White won 61%, 3% were drawn and Black won 36%. The most popular continuation is 7… Bxe3 (58% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 7… d6 8. Bxc5 dxc5 9. Nd2 Be6 10. Qf3)
- ECO
- C45
- Moves
- 13 plies
- FEN
r1b1k2r/ppppnppp/2n2q2/2b5/4P3/2P1B3/PPN2PPP/RN1QKB1R b KQkq - 2 7- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Nc2
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 1 | |
| 1500-1999 | 13 | |
| 2000+ | 22 | |
| All | 36 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7… Bxe3 | 21 (58%) | |
| 7… Bb6 | 14 (39%) | |
| 7… d6 | 1 (3%) |
Master games
52 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 35%, draw 21%, Black 44%). The strongest:
- GM Alexander Morozevich (2683) – GM Gata Kamsky (2670) 1/2-1/2 · 38th Nezhmetdinov Rapid · 2016-05-30
- GM Jacek Tomczak (2601) – GM Yannick Gozzoli (2604) 1-0 · PRO League Group Stage · 2020-02-06
- GM Alexander Morozevich (2650) – GM Nikita Afanasiev (2511) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-RUS Rapid 2025 · 2025-10-19
- GM Alexander Morozevich (2659) – IM Vladislav Nozdrachev (2494) 0-1 · ch-RUS Blitz 2019 · 2019-10-17
- FM Leo Pecnik (2357) – GM Mishra Swayams (2479) 1/2-1/2 · 45th Seville Open 2020 · 2020-01-16
Search all games of the Scotch Game: Meitner Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Banjan (2336) – abbozzo (2258) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 300 + 0s
- Banjan (2323) – abbozzo (2271) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 300 + 0s
- hardi_jen (2187) – luncur_CSI (2335) 0-1 · 2026-09-01 · 300 + 0s
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.