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spurtus ♡ 24 ( +1 | -1 )
Scandinavian revisited Does anybody have any resources on... the Scandinavian Classical AKA Centre Counter.

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. nc6 Qa5

I cant find ANY theory on the internet on this.

I am also very interested in the Andersen variation ( counter gambit ) 4. d4 e5

Thanks,
Spurtus.



bonsai ♡ 66 ( +1 | -1 )
I don't think there's any really good internet resources on it around, but there's a very good book in German by GM Wahls giving a complete repetoire against 1.e4 and there is a CD by Chessbase, which covers all varieties of the Scandinavian including independent systems like 2...Nf6, 3...Qd6 and (indeed) the Andersen variation.
However my feeling is that in the 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 line black is behind in developement and therefore shouldn't open up the position by playing 4.d4 e5. It seems much safer to just develop (Nf6, Bf5, c6, e6, Nbd7 etc.), when eventually white's lead in development will (hopefully) disappear. If I was looking for tactical complications in the Scandinavian I'd probably start on move two with 2...Nf6.
keiserpaul ♡ 23 ( +1 | -1 )
Behind in development after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 ? Black has won a tempo with Qxd5, he has given it back with moving his Queen a second time. White has developed one piece and so has White. Please explain "white's lead in development".
brownrecluse ♡ 11 ( +1 | -1 )
You have to be either a fool or insane to play the center counter; I've played it for over twenty years!
roland_l ♡ 26 ( +1 | -1 )
There is a ... very comprehensive booklet put out by IM Jeremy Silman ... a little paperback with maybe 50 pages, that covers the Scandinavian (Center Counter) ... he covers those lines and gives a bunch of games to go along with them ... I got it for just a few dollars
philaretus ♡ 48 ( +1 | -1 )
I've had no success against the Classical Variation. Unfortunately, this induced me to try playing it myself with colours reversed, i.e. 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 4.Qa4, again with no success --- I'm about to lose my game with teajay (no comments please). Having already played out the King's pawn proves to be disadvantageous. I feel that the future for White probably lies with the as yet little-explored 1.e4 d5 2.Nf6 dxe4 3.Ng5.
greenacres101 ♡ 15 ( +1 | -1 )
Here is a recent game... of mine that had this opening- 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5

board #1654932
spurtus ♡ 37 ( +1 | -1 )
The curious thing about the Scandinavian ( I am investigating ) is a tactic for black to play Bb4 (Even if black has played a3)... there seem to be a lot of tactitcal complications with this.... I've not had any success with it but because its so forcing and sharp there must be something in it I hope.

Of course this is only acheivable is there is central tension along the lines of the Andersen variation.
bonsai ♡ 36 ( +1 | -1 )
philaretus: After 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Qxd4 Nc6 there is the interesting move 4.Qe3, which I've seen repeatedly from vaguely strong players around where I live. Another way of playing Scandinavian positions with white could be 1.Nc3 e5 2.d4.

As to the 1.e4 d5 2.Nf3 dxe4 3.Ng5 gambit, I believe it's been more or less refuted by some analysis I've seen 3...Bf5! e.g. 4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bc4 e6 6.Qe2 Nc6! and black is better.

bonsai ♡ 47 ( +1 | -1 )
keiserpaul: After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 white has developed a minor piece, while black has just his queen out (which is definitely not that useful). In a sense the Scandinavian is an example of when one can bring out the queen early in the opening, but if white doesn't play 3.Nc3 things are much easier for black, e.g. 3.d4 gives black excellent play after 3...Nc6, here black can definitely play agressively and doesn't have to be careful about opening the position.
philaretus ♡ 7 ( +1 | -1 )
bonsai Thanks for the tip about 4.Qe3. I'll try it next time the opportunity presents itself. :)
spurtus ♡ 10 ( +1 | -1 )
Dont forget if you find anything on the internet on the Scand post the link here please.
keiserpaul ♡ 49 ( +1 | -1 )
bonsai The Queen comes out soon ( too soon ? I do not believe in dogma's. The first rule in chess is that there are no rules. ) and is sometimes in danger. But this is not a gain of a tempo. To quote Siegbert Tarrasch : " Two tempi for each side are visible on the board. White has developed his King's pawn and the Knight. Black his Queen's pawn and Queen. Thus in respect of tempi the game is even." The question if the Queen's position is usefull is a matter of analysis and in my opinion the Queen is well placed on a5.
spurtus ♡ 52 ( +1 | -1 )
Yes, queen is well placed on a5 , nothing much lost I think, apart from when I play it!... often it can instill a sense of bravado in white .... 'hey this guy is breaking rules, easy game' ... not so, it will come back and bite especially if you dont analyse.

Most people tell me the qa5 plan is inferior to starting out with nf6 ?... but I have to say I detest this move nf6 ...as qa5 does many things simultaneously and requires more from your opponent.... although long term im not sure.
atrifix ♡ 77 ( +1 | -1 )
First of all, White has the natural half-tempo advantage of playing White. Secondly, White has developed a Knight as opposed to a Queen, and he has developed it on clearly its best square, whereas Black's Queen is not so obviously on its best square and will almost always have to move to c7. These factors constitute a lead in development for White (3/4 of a tempo?).

That said, of course, the Scandinavian is a perfectly reasonable opening that is just as good as any other Black defense. To counterbalance White's lead in development, Black has eliminated White's strong e-pawn and has some pressure on the Knight and Q-side with Bb4 or Ne4, which will often force white to make the unfavorable move Bd2. Even the 3... Qd8 or 3... Qd6 lines are not so clear.

IMHO the best way to respond to 3. d4 is not 3... Nc6, but 3... e5.
bonsai ♡ 57 ( +1 | -1 )
As far as I know after 3.d4 the move 3...e5 is perfectly okay for black, but it gives white more of a chance for getting a totally equal game, e.g. by playing something like 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Nxd4 Nc6 6.Nxc6 Qxc6 7.Nc3 Bd7, which gets a bit undynamic and boring.
Of course there is no definite advantage for black after 3...Nc6, but in my experience white is under much more pressure and I've never seen anyone playing this correctly as white, either - that isn't really much of an argument, but the white position seems more difficult to play than the black one.