Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation (4. Nxd4 Qh4)
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4
The Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO C45, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4. It is a line of the Scotch Game. White is to move. 5 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 2,167 times by this move order. White won 43%, 5% were drawn and Black won 52%. The most popular continuation is 5. Nc3 (44% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.78 (Stockfish, depth 58; best line 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Be2 Qxe4 7. Nb5 Bxc3+)
- ECO
- C45
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
r1b1kbnr/pppp1ppp/2n5/8/3NP2q/8/PPP2PPP/RNBQKB1R w KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 584 | |
| 1500-1999 | 1,316 | |
| 2000+ | 267 | |
| All | 2,167 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. Nc3 Steinitz Variation (4… Qh4 5. Nc3) | 944 (44%) | |
| 5. Nxc6 | 769 (35%) | |
| 5. Qd3 | 153 (7%) | |
| 5. Nb5 Horwitz Attack | 86 (4%) | |
| 5. Be3 Braune Variation | 50 (2%) | |
| 5. Nf3 Fraser Variation | 46 (2%) | |
| 5. Bd3 | 26 (1%) | |
| 5. Be2 | 25 (1%) |
Master games
54 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 35%, draw 6%, Black 59%). The strongest:
- FM Jonas Hilwerda (2254) – IM Peter T Roberson (2433) 0-1 · Titled Tue 8th Jul Late · 2025-07-08
- Juan Manuel Quiroga Garza (2190) – IM Mohamed Ezat (2402) 0-1 · Titled Tuesday 9th Feb · 2021-02-09
- Vitor Hugo Vieira Ferreira (2128) – GM Raven Sturt (2459) 0-1 · Titled Tue 5th Aug Late · 2025-08-05
- GM Alexander Ipatov (2614) – Burak Komut (1951) 1-0 · TCh-TUR Super League 2014 · 2014-08-18
- FM Dawid Janaszak (2316) – CM Paulo Jodorcovsky Werjivker (2220) 1-0 · Titled Tue 18th Apr Late · 2023-04-18
Search all games of the Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- TheorySpeedrun (2661) – FM Crew12 (2702) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- Batman412 (2572) – IM Angelicanmade (2556) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- NM dirty-flag (2515) – joobree (2556) 0-1 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Scotch Game (3… exd4 4. Nxd4) 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4
Continuations
- Scotch Game: Braune Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Be3
- Scotch Game: Fraser Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nf3
- Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nb5
- Scotch Game: Paulsen Variation C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nf5
- Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation (4… Qh4 5. Nc3) C45 · 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nc3
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.