Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit

1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4

The Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit is a chess opening classified as ECO C44, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4. It is a line of the Scotch Game. Black is to move. 8 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 45,486 times by this move order. White won 54%, 3% were drawn and Black won 43%. The most popular continuation is 4… Nf6 (25% of games).

Engine evaluation: 0.00 (Stockfish, depth 65; best line 4… Bb4+ 5. c3 dxc3 6. O-O Nf6 7. e5)

ECO: C44
Moves: 7 plies
FEN: r1bqkbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/8/2BpP3/5N2/PPP2PPP/RNBQK2R b KQkq - 1 4
PGN: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	14,854	56%41%
1500-1999	26,017	53%43%
2000+	4,615	49%45%
All	45,486	54%43%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
4… Nf6	11,192 (25%)	51%45%
4… Bc5 Haxo Gambit	9,910 (22%)	56%40%
4… h6	7,921 (17%)	56%40%
4… d6	5,176 (11%)	50%46%
4… Bb4+ Scotch Gambit, London Defense	4,098 (9%)	53%44%
4… Be7	3,153 (7%)	54%43%
4… Qf6	1,112 (2%)	54%44%
4… f6	565 (1%)	63%34%

Master games

2,446 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 46%, draw 20%, Black 34%). The strongest:

GM Awonder Liang (2690) – GM Quang Liem Le (2739) 1/2-1/2 · Titled Tue 11th Feb Late · 2025-02-11
GM Rauf Mamedov (2637) – GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2766) 0-1 · 10th Gashimov Mem Blitz · 2024-09-28
GM Leinier Dominguez Perez (2748) – GM Grzegorz Nasuta (2551) 0-1 · Titled Tue 2nd Jul Late · 2024-07-02
GM Alexander Grischuk (2667) – GM David Anton Guijarro (2625) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-ESP Div Honor 2025 · 2025-08-13
GM Johan-Sebastian Christiansen (2578) – GM Nodirbek Abdusattorov (2713) 0-1 · World Blitz 2022 · 2022-12-29

Search all games of the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

FM Guary1 (2862) – doyoulikedonuts (2661) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
NM Pliukha_Mikhail (2714) – hadishahod (2798) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
FM Alexboy14 (2741) – Mysterious_Spy (2765) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s

Comes from

Scotch Game (3. d4 exd4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4

Continuations

Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bc5
Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, London Defense C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Bb4+
Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Advance Variation C44 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. e5
Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, de Riviere Defense C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7
Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Janowski Defense C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O d6
Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Max Lange Attack (5. O-O Bc5) C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Bc5
Italian Game: Scotch Gambit, Canal Variation C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Nc3
Italian Game: Two Knights Defense, Yurdansky Attack C56 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Bc4 Nf6 5. O-O Nxe4 6. Re1 d5 7. Bxd5 Qxd5 8. Nc3 Qa5 9. Nxe4 Be6 10. Bg5 h6 11. Bh4 g5 12. Nf6+ Ke7 13. b4

More Scotch Game lines (all)

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.