Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4
The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO C44, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4. It is a line of the Scotch Game. White is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 8,821 times by this move order. White won 51%, 4% were drawn and Black won 45%. The most popular continuation is 5. e5 (35% of games).
Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 75; best line 5. e5 Ne4 6. Qe2 Nc5 7. c3 d3)
- ECO
- C44
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pppp1ppp/2n2n2/8/2BpP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 3,426 | |
| 1500-1999 | 4,213 | |
| 2000+ | 1,182 | |
| All | 8,821 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. e5 | 3,075 (35%) | |
| 5. Nxd4 | 2,392 (27%) | |
| 5. O-O Scotch Gambit | 2,102 (24%) | |
| 5. Ng5 Two Knights Defense, Perreux Variation | 564 (6%) | |
| 5. c3 | 481 (5%) | |
| 5. Bg5 | 94 (1%) | |
| 5. Bxf7+ | 62 (1%) | |
| 5. Ne5 | 9 (0%) |
Master games
667 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 31%, draw 21%, Black 48%). The strongest:
- GM Fabiano Caruana (2766) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2859) 0-1 · chess.com SpeedChess 2022 · 2022-12-13
- GM Javokhir Sindarov (2777) – GM Vincent Keymer (2767) 1-0 · Saint Louis Blitz 2026 · 2026-08-06
- GM So, W. (2745) – GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2771) 1-0 · 12th Sinquefield Cup · 2025-08-27
- GM Jan-Krzysztof Duda (2740) – GM Levon Aronian (2775) 1/2-1/2 · FTX Crypto Cup 2022 · 2022-08-16
- GM Nikita Vitiugov (2719) – GM Hao Wang (2730) 0-1 · World Rapid 2018 · 2018-12-27
Search all games of the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM Squoznyak (2889) – IM Hripach007 (2705) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- CM Mikkel_Vinh (2690) – umbrella01 (2795) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- tsnylsw (2763) – FM Crew12 (2711) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Open Variation 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4
Continuations
- Italian Game: Scotch Gambit C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. O-O
- Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Perreux Variation C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. Ng5
- Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Kingside Variation C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 Ng4
- Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack (6. Bb5 Ne4) C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6 4. d4 exd4 5. e5 d5 6. Bb5 Ne4
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.