The Biggest Scandinavian Expert (And Their 10 Best Games)
In today's post, I will share with you ten of the best Scandinavian games played by the leading expert of the Scandinavian Defense (1.e4 d5).
But first...who is the leading expert of this opening?
Is it Hikaru Nakamura?
Nakamura is certainly the 2700+ GM to have played the Scandinavian the most, but nearly all of those games were in online blitz, so to my mind it's not the same 'quality' as someone who played the opening a lot in over-the-board play.
Magnus Carlsen is another player known to play the Scandinavian on occasion, and used it in the 2014 and 2016 Olympiads respectively to score a win and a draw against Fabiano Caruana. But once again, nearly all of Carlsen's Scandinavians are in blitz or rapid chess (and only 24 games at that).
Among strong players, IM Alexander Reprintsev played the Scandinavian in the most games of all, but as I wrote in another recent post, he usually plays dubious versions with 3...Qa5 followed by 5...Nc6, among other adventures.
Ultimately, the biggest expert of the Scandinavian, without question, is GM Sergey Tiviakov - who started playing the 3...Qd6 Scandinavian in late 2005 (funnily enough, after struggling against it in an unpublished game vs. a Spanish IM with the white pieces). He was also playing it when he reached his peak FIDE of 2700, and continues to play it successfully today (with a total score of 101/164).
We can learn a lot by going through all of Tiviakov's Scandinavian games, because he often plays against somewhat lower-rated players in open tournaments, and we therefore get a great model of how to beat similarly-rated opponents when we face them in our own tournament games.
However, to keep this post at a manageable length, I've restricted myself to ten Scandinavian games by Tiviakov. Enjoy!
Game 1: Anand vs. Tiviakov, Wijk Aan Zee 2006
It's qute impressive when you can comfortably hold a draw as Black against the then world number three (even world number two, if one excludes a retired Kasparov). Although Anand's pawn sacrifice left Tiviakov with some problems completing development, he was able to return the pawn to neutralize White's attack, get the pieces out and hold. Arguably, he could have even seriously played for the win at some points.
Also notice that Tiviakov favours the solid 5...c6 approach, intending to develop his light-squared bishop actively with ...Bg4 or ...Bf5 if White spurns Ne5.
Also notice that Tiviakov favours the solid 5...c6 approach, intending to develop his light-squared bishop actively with ...Bg4 or ...Bf5 if White spurns Ne5.
Game 2: Kamsky Vs. Tiviakov, Wijk Aan Zee 2006
Two rounds later, in the final round of the tournament, Tiviakov won against the 'FFL' Gata Kamsky in an up-and-down game. From the opening perspective though, Black was doing very well, and the game in general is a great demonstration of how easy it is for White to overextend against the ...Qd6 Scandinavian.
Those of you with Mega Database can find Tiviakov's own full notes to this game there.
Those of you with Mega Database can find Tiviakov's own full notes to this game there.
Game 3: Al Modiahki vs. Tiviakov, Amsterdam Open 2006
This game shows that Tiviakov is not limited to playing the Scandinavian one way - he can adapt his setup to keep his opponents guessing!
Although the 5...a6 6.g3 Bg4 variation is technically losing by force, White found himself unprepared (much like Tiviakov himself as White back in 2005) and allowed Black to grab the d4-pawn and then hold with his rock-solid structure to eventually win the game.
I also share the view that the way to get the best results with the Scandinavian is to be a moving target, able to play a few different variations so that our opponents won't be ready for us...yet we can still rely on our superior understanding and experience of the positions, much like Tiviakov has done for 17 years now.
Game 4: Ganguly vs. Tiviakov, FIDE World Cup 2007
Although the 5...a6 6.g3 Bg4 variation is technically losing by force, White found himself unprepared (much like Tiviakov himself as White back in 2005) and allowed Black to grab the d4-pawn and then hold with his rock-solid structure to eventually win the game.
I also share the view that the way to get the best results with the Scandinavian is to be a moving target, able to play a few different variations so that our opponents won't be ready for us...yet we can still rely on our superior understanding and experience of the positions, much like Tiviakov has done for 17 years now.
Game 4: Ganguly vs. Tiviakov, FIDE World Cup 2007
This game shows how even a notable theoretician (Ganguly was one of Anand's main seconds for about a decade) can get caught out by this solid 3...Qd6/5...c6 Scandinavian. Admittedly, 10.Be5 is not the most critical move, since the exchange of queens favours Black as a way to relieve his space advantage and turn the d4-pawn into a weakness.
Caro-Kann players will already be familiar with these principles, due to the similar structure. But the Scandinavian is much easier to grasp, because we only have to master the structure with the White e-pawn and Black d-pawn exchanged, and not all the other types of positions like the Carlsbad Structure (Exchange Caro-Kann), closed French Structure (Advance Caro-Kann) and IQP Positions (Panov Caro-Kann).
Game 5: Parligras vs. Tiviakov
This game sees a 2600+ GM quickly blundering a pawn in unfamiliar territory (for him - we can be sure Tiviakov was right at home!).
I have noticed that even very strong players start making mistakes very soon after they leave their theoretical knowledge, especially if they haven't deeply studied the arising middlegame positions beforehand. In my own games with the Scandinavian as well, I found that even strong Grandmasters were often out of book by move 10.
Game 6: Macieja vs. Tiviakov, Remco Heite 2008
Game 6: Macieja vs. Tiviakov, Remco Heite 2008
This game shows that Tiviakov doesn't care about the engine evaluation of the position - he's more interested in playing familiar ideas and getting into a middlegame where he's more comfortable and understands the position better than his opponent.
In this game, White missed a very strong 16.Nd3!, instead going for a pawn grab that instead gave Black very nice compensation for the pawn. Of course, it takes a lot of confidence to enter a line where the engine is givng White a clear advantage, but old-school players like Tiviakov and Kamsky have managed to get good results by entering such positions anyway, then outplaying their opponents in the middlegame.
In this game, White missed a very strong 16.Nd3!, instead going for a pawn grab that instead gave Black very nice compensation for the pawn. Of course, it takes a lot of confidence to enter a line where the engine is givng White a clear advantage, but old-school players like Tiviakov and Kamsky have managed to get good results by entering such positions anyway, then outplaying their opponents in the middlegame.
Game 7: Naiditsch vs. Tiviakov, Sibenik 2009
This game is Tiviakov's second highest-rated scalp with the Scandinavian (after the earlier win against Kamsky), and shows how White can quickly lose his opening advantage if he doesn't continue energetically in using his lead in development. White's creative manoeuvres didn't really impress, and by move 13 Black was already fighting for the advantage, as Tiviakov's notes to the game in Mega Database indicate.
Game 8: Wan vs. Tiviakov, Moscow 2011
Game 8: Wan vs. Tiviakov, Moscow 2011
This game shows one of Tiviakov's strengths as a practical player - he doesn't drop an opening because of one bad game (he'd lost to Shirov not long before this game in the same 7.f4 variation), but instead reviews the game and finds improvements over his previous play for next time. (This is something he shared in his notes to the game in Mega Database).
Indeed, I remember my past trainer GM Ian Rogers recommending to me that I find improvements over my opponent's wins when preparing for them, because they are a lot less likely to analyze their wins than their losses.
As for the game itself, it's another good demonstration of how, even though 7.f4 is objectively good for White, it's also quite risky to push the pawns forward with g4, and if White ever loses control of the position, his position will have a lot of weaknesses we can attack. This luring of the opponent into overextending is very typical of 'light squared' openings like the Scandinavian, Caro-Kann and Slav Defence.
Indeed, I remember my past trainer GM Ian Rogers recommending to me that I find improvements over my opponent's wins when preparing for them, because they are a lot less likely to analyze their wins than their losses.
As for the game itself, it's another good demonstration of how, even though 7.f4 is objectively good for White, it's also quite risky to push the pawns forward with g4, and if White ever loses control of the position, his position will have a lot of weaknesses we can attack. This luring of the opponent into overextending is very typical of 'light squared' openings like the Scandinavian, Caro-Kann and Slav Defence.
Game 9: Dzhmuaev vs. Tiviakov, Mashhad 2012
This game, played in a strong open tournament in Iran, shows how, when you play an opening many times and analyze it, you are often able to come up with your 'own' theory, that very few other players will be familiar with at all.
In this game, Tiviakov had analyzed an earlier game of his against Bologan, and found the improvement 17...Rd8!, which helped him to win this game and later the tournament. (You can find his full annotations in Mega Database).
In this game, Tiviakov had analyzed an earlier game of his against Bologan, and found the improvement 17...Rd8!, which helped him to win this game and later the tournament. (You can find his full annotations in Mega Database).
Sometimes the idea doesn't have to be a clear improvement - the engine still prefers White on move 18 of the game, but Tiviakov's greater familiarity with the position (along with the pressure on White to prove his compensation when Black has no weaknesses) contributed to Tiviakov winning this game and later the tournament.
Game 10: Preotu vs. Tiviakov
Sometimes, when learning or refining a Black opening, a natural question is, 'What if my opponent plays solidly? Will I get enough winning chances?'
One nice thing about the Scandinavian is that it keeps a lot of pieces on the board, and while both sides can invite exchanges, trades tend to favour Black in this opening, due to his space disadvantage and White's lead in development.
In this game, we see Tiviakov execute to perfection the thematic plan of pressuring and ultimately winning the d4-pawn. It looks so simple that it's natural to feel like our opponents will easily avoid it - but often the simplest plans are the most effective, because it means our moves will be easier to play than our opponent's.
One nice thing about the Scandinavian is that it keeps a lot of pieces on the board, and while both sides can invite exchanges, trades tend to favour Black in this opening, due to his space disadvantage and White's lead in development.
In this game, we see Tiviakov execute to perfection the thematic plan of pressuring and ultimately winning the d4-pawn. It looks so simple that it's natural to feel like our opponents will easily avoid it - but often the simplest plans are the most effective, because it means our moves will be easier to play than our opponent's.
Bonus Game: Bellahcene vs. Tiviakov, Chartres 2022
I added this game as a bonus, just to prove that Tiviakov is still playing the Scandinavian successfully in his games. Although 7...Nb6 is meant to be not the best move, the surprise effect worked to perfection, as Black had already equalized after one more move, and was already fighting for the advantage after a few more moves.
Again, we can neutralize the most promising options of our opponent by playing the Scandinavian in a few different ways, hitting them with the variation that we like which they will also be least familiar or comfortable with.
Again, we can neutralize the most promising options of our opponent by playing the Scandinavian in a few different ways, hitting them with the variation that we like which they will also be least familiar or comfortable with.
Next Steps
If you enjoyed this post on Tiviakov's 10 best games in the Scandinavian Defense, I highly recommend that you check out my course on this opening, 'Play The Strongest Scandinavian'. It is currently at a discount ($50 off) so make sure to get it at the discount price while you can!
Want To Try Before You Buy?
I recently uploaded a few training videos on the Scandinavian, which I share below for your enjoyment! I cover different variations of the Scandinavian in each video, so it will be easy for you to feel which one suits your style.
If you enjoyed this post on Tiviakov's 10 best games in the Scandinavian Defense, I highly recommend that you check out my course on this opening, 'Play The Strongest Scandinavian'. It is currently at a discount ($50 off) so make sure to get it at the discount price while you can!
Want To Try Before You Buy?
I recently uploaded a few training videos on the Scandinavian, which I share below for your enjoyment! I cover different variations of the Scandinavian in each video, so it will be easy for you to feel which one suits your style.
Portuguese Scandinavian (Sharp):
The 3...Qa5 Scandinavian (Old Main Line):
The 3...Qa5 Scandinavian (Modern Main Line):
Again, if you enjoy the videos, make sure to take your Scandinavian skills to the next level and pick up the free points on offer against your opponents when you get 'Play The Strongest Scandinavian'.
