Scandinavian Defense | Ideas, Principles and Common Variations

The Scandinavian Defense is a very dangerous weapon to have against e4. It’s flexible, aggressive, and it doesn’t require learning tons of opening theory.

The Scandinavian is also known as the Center Counter Defense. It is one of the oldest recorded openings, dating back to the 15th century. It was also mentioned by Lucena. Ludvig Collijn, among other Scandinavian masters, gave the opening its name.

Here are the key features of the Scandinavian Defense:

- It is an unavoidable opening. As soon as black plays 1...d5, white has to enter it and has no other choice.
- The Scandinavian is an opening in which patterns, plans and ideas matter much more than theoretical lines, so with experience, you can improve greatly.
- It is a counterattacking opening. Black obliges to have less space and worse development for a superior structure which often enables him to counterattack in the middlegame or in the endgame.
- White has a lead in development and has to play energetically in order to prove his advantage before black manages to consolidate, castle and develop fully.
- Black’s main attacking ideas revolve around the semi open d file and the overextended d pawn.
- Black is very often forced to give up the bishop pair and plays with knight and bishop or two knights versus two bishops.
- Black has a very solid pawn structure, just like in the Caro Kann, with pawns on e6 and c6 and without a single weakness.
- The positions are most often static and white has a hard time opening them up; he has to look for aggressive breaks.
- Black loses time for development by bringing his queen out too early, but compensates for that with his structure.
- Because of the d4 pawn, white has more space in the center, but it’s not an advantage unless the space is used to restrain the black pieces or open the position up.
- Furthermore, a space advantage always comes with a downside – weakening of squares. Overextending is always weakening.
- White’s main break in the position is d4-d5. Opening the position would highlight white’s lead in development and the bishop pair. It also breaks open the solid Caro-Kann structure.
- f4-f5 is another idea, looking to break at the e6 pawn, as well as piece sacrifices on e6.

In the rest of the series, I will be covering the three main variations of the Scandinavian in depth.

Any support is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

#chess

[HangingPawns]

Chessbook allows you to import and practice your repertoire. It focuses on moves people actually play as well as your mistakes. Connect it to your lichess or chess com accounts to correct the biggest gaps in your repertoire!

[andygalligan]

That tram system behind you is tripping me out, I thought a bus was falling out of the sky for a second

[MrPatrikPass]

One suggestion. If an educational video about an opening is primarily intended for a player with black pieces, it is more pleasant and clearer to have the chessboard rotated so that the black pieces are at the bottom. Just as the player who will use the opening perceives them.

[NestanSvensk]

I tried the Scandinavian after this introduction and won my first game, so clearly you are doing something right.

[jackm]

Back in Dec 1974, I "temporarily" began to play the Scandinavian just until I could make a few adjustments to my play in the Taimanov Sicilian. Over 45 years later, I'm still pushing that d pawn. But great intro. I already know just about everything to know about the Scandinavian, but "it's what you learn after you know everything that counts."

[kidneys]

*_Time Stamps to Study lines_*
1:37 e4
1:40 Scandinavin
2:55 Qxd5 *Mieses Kotrac Variation*
6:07 N-f3 after Qxd5
6:52 N-c3, Q-a5 ( *the main move of the Scandinavian* )
7:03 Q-d6 *gubinsky-melts defense*
15:25 N-f6 *Modern Variation* (my favorite)

[rigersavdo]

Very helpful. Thank You, not just for this video, but for all.

[FleshGrob]

Have been waiting for a long time for Scandinavian
Now expect Petrov defense and D4, C4 and Reti series
Thanks a lot for your diligence

[guillermoblanco]

At first I hated this opening, but I gave it a try and now is my only response to 1.e4. Such a fantastic and flexible opening, is great for begginers because the ideas behind it are very easy to grasp and the pawn structure is very similar to the Caro, the Slav and the QGA so if you play it, you can easily start to play that other openings and built a great repertoire based on ideas and plans for that specific pawn structure.

[ruthxk]

"Play the Scandinavian like a Boss" :D :D :D

one of the best series I've found so far!!

Thank u so much

[servy]

i love the scandinavian, i’ve won most of my games when they take on d5, though when they don’t take i struggle a little more but still it’s my main opening for black

[markvillarubia]

This has become my main opening for Black and it won me games. Thank you for the thorough discussion.

[Peter-ihtn]

You were on top of your game for this one!

[davidwhitecross]

Hi Mr Tomic,


Once again, an excellent lecture as always. You're lessons have taken me from a 1700 to 1923 over the last year. However, I just can't make the leap into the 2000s - what should I focus on?


Thank you for the amazing and free content!

[LilRofl]

The Scandinavian Defense is my favorite. Thank you for such a through breakdown.

[davidwestwood]

Fascinating background and wonderful overview of a defense I need to learn to play effectively. Another exception to common rules of thumb. Thank you.

[OtokoWarrior]

Just the introduction I was looking for. I really appreciated the summary of attacking ideas for both sides. Thanks so much. Great stuff.

[Vinicius.gasantos]

Great video, helped me a lot. I love your approach about the oppenings, has a type of thinking that makes us absorv the ideas besides just memorize moves.

[cmalc]

in the window, funiculars cross paths. 😳 Amazing. Thank you so much for your videos. Incredibly helpful.

[ddillon]

I lost to the Scandinavian today, this video is helping me understand why:) Thank you! The emphasis on ideas rather than specific moves is very helpful for this beginner.