Scotch Game: Potter Variation
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3
The Scotch Game: Potter Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C45, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3. It is a line of the Scotch Game. Black is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 2,806 times by this move order. White won 53%, 4% were drawn and Black won 43%. The most popular continuation is 5… Bb6 (90% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.21 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 5… Bb6 6. Nc3 Nf6 7. Qe2 O-O 8. Bg5)
- ECO
- C45
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
r1bqk1nr/pppp1ppp/2n5/2b5/4P3/1N6/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 2 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 383 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,609 | |
| 2000+ | 814 | |
| All | 2,806 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Bb6 | 2,529 (90%) | |
| 5… Bxf2+ | 82 (3%) | |
| 5… Be7 | 44 (2%) | |
| 5… Bb4+ Romanishin Variation | 36 (1%) | |
| 5… Qf6 | 34 (1%) | |
| 5… d6 | 24 (1%) | |
| 5… Qe7 | 19 (1%) | |
| 5… Nf6 | 13 (0%) |
Master games
3,530 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 22%, Black 33%). The strongest:
- Integral 7.0.0-dev-453c1dc4 (3735) – Berserk 20250622 (3667) 1-0 · TCEC 29 Premier 2026 · 2026-03-06
- Berserk 20250622 (3667) – Integral 7.0.0-dev-453c1dc4 (3735) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 29 Premier 2026 · 2026-03-04
- KomodoDragon3.3 (3620) – Obsidiandev-16.14 (3645) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 28 Premier 2025 · 2025-08-23
- Obsidiandev-16.14 (3645) – KomodoDragon3.3 (3620) 1-0 · TCEC 28 Premier 2025 · 2025-08-23
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2881) – GM Hikaru Nakamura (2775) 1/2-1/2 · FIDE World Blitz 2014 · 2014-06-19
Search all games of the Scotch Game: Potter Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- GM Dragso (2751) – Kruciatos (2704) 1-0 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Frankeinsteinzombie (2640) – GM JThybo (2602) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 2s
- IM plamia (2576) – IM Gorbaev (2632) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
Scotch Game: Classical Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5
Continuations
- Scotch Game: Romanishin Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nb3 Bb4+
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.