yeah, it's ok.
Actually, as an e4 player, it's probably the opening I least like playing against. I never seem to get going.
Is 1.e4 d5 an "ok" opening
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This is called the Scandanavian Defense and it has been played in high level tournaments for a long time. I think GM Sergei Tiviakov uses it often now.
For a while, I played this quite a bit as black.
If you are a 1 e4 player as white, you need to develop a line against this, like you do for other less common openings.
Nov 14, 2009
0
#4
Black hasn't lost any tempo, In the final position, you both have a piece out, you have your knight out, and he has his queen out. One could argue that the queen is a less useful piece to have out then the knight, but I digress.
Nov 14, 2009
0
#5
Anand played it once against Kasparov in the 1995 World Championship. Anand got a superior position out of the opening, but made mistakes later and lost the game. I think Kamsky may have played it against Anand in a match.
Scandianvian is completely sound, I used to play it. Also not that 3. Qd6 is a good try
Nov 14, 2009
0
#7
After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 if Black plays 2. ...Qxd5 white replies with 3.Nc3 threatening the queen to go back to its home.Doesnt Black loses a tempo here.
Nov 14, 2009
0
#8
The Scandinavian is brilliant! Especially in blitz/bullet games. Even more so if one plays the modern variation (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 - and possibly 3. Nc3 c6 4. dxc6 Nxc6). The opponent has never seen it, and you gain a lot of time in the beginning!
I'm talking for the newbies here on chess.com... ;P
yes its ok black is extremely solid after c6 and e6 even if you lose a tempo
If white is prepared for the opening, then black will have to play very accurately to achieve equality. This is the drawback to the scandinavian defense. If black makes an inaccuracy in the opening, then white can have a lasting advantage throughout the game.
I find that black has difficulty achieving counterplay at times and white can even get an advantage from the simple 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Be2 which I found frustrating as black. If you want to play the scandinavian, I suggest that you should look into the Marshall Gambit 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6
In my experience, I found that I could play the scandinavian up until the class D level. Above that and I found it difficult to generate adequate counterplay. I eventually changed to 1...e5 which fit my style better.
franknstein wrote:
After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 if Black plays 2. ...Qxd5 white replies with 3.Nc3 threatening the queen to go back to its home.Doesnt Black loses a tempo here.
You do lose a tempo, but it's an extremely solid opening for black for the position. I play the Qd6 retreat instead of the Qa5 - I find it hard to get whipped easily when I use this line.
The Scandanavian is quite strong. It develops the queen to a safe square and prepares quick queenside castling - also bringing out the rook. Also check out the Icelandic Gambit regard 2. ...Nc6 lines in the articles section - GM Arun and Magesh wrote one on it a while back. It's quite useful to see some of those games in action.
As white, aim for d2-d4 push and a quick attack as you will develop your developement quickly. Harass the queen while developing if you can.
Yeah, and I just want to reiterate the fact that it has been played at the top level for a very long time (although it's eclipsed by openings like the Sicilian currently). Also, if you're like Conquistador, I'd recommdend trying the 3...Qd6 line. It's very dynamic and strong - don't underestimate it!
sharepointme wrote:
I consider myself as a "beginner" with rating 1500 in blitz games(3-5 minutes). I have now played several games where my opponent plays d5 in answer to my opening e4. So the line is: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5
As I understand it black looses tempo by bringing out the queen that early so "why play this opening?". Can anyone tell my if this opening is "ok" for black - and if so what is blacks plan?
It seems to me that White has a free tempo because it makes sense to reserve the Nc3 hit until later. In a couple of internet games, I met 1...Qxd5 with 2.h3 taking away a later Bg4 when I go to post my Knight on f3 and, at the same time, creating luft. How does Black justify the early Queen move if White just follows with normal developing moves? I would say before 1...d5 that White has at best a 1/4 pawn advantage after 2.Nc3 i.e. checkmate in 200 moves with perfect play by both sides; now, with 2.h3 he has a 1/3 pawn advantage i.e. checkmate (with best play by both sides) in about 150 moves. It is a tiny difference but truth in chess is about subtleties whereas play is about practicality. Chasing the Queen immediately doesn't make sense to me; reserve the hit until it has more oomph, or at least try to force Black to move his Queen without actually attacking it, but just threatening to attack it.
Hmmm, that is positionally incorrect. White just wastes a tempo on 3.h3 because black's bishop is ideal on f5, not g4.
1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.h3 e5! and black has equality.
Thymo wrote:
The Scandinavian is brilliant! Especially in blitz/bullet games. Even more so if one plays the modern variation (1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 - and possibly 3. Nc3 c6 4. dxc6 Nxc6). The opponent has never seen it, and you gain a lot of time in the beginning!
I'm talking for the newbies here on chess.com... ;P
Why doesn't White just make normal developing moves in response to 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 e.g. 3.Bc4 Nxd5 4.Nc3 Nxc3 5.Qf3 e6 6.dxc3 +/- I like White's lead in development. Black could try 3.Bc4 Nxd5 4.Nc3 Nb6 5.Bb3 Nc6 6.Nf3 Nd4 7.O-O +/- (Bg4?? 8.Bxf7ch +-) Why would anyone want to steer towards either of these variations?
Your evaluations are false. Black does not have a forced loss. 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bc4 Nxd5 4.Nc3 Nf6 and black is fine.
Among today's elite players (100 with the highest ELO rating) not a single player uses the Scandinavian Defence regularly. It is just a statement of a fact, draw your own conclusions.
Crazychessplaya wrote:
Among today's elite players (100 with the highest ELO rating) not a single player uses the Scandinavian Defence regularly. It is just a statement of a fact, draw your own conclusions.
False. Tiviakov is #61 and uses the 3...Qd6 Scandinavian as his main defence to 1.e4.
I like playing it as white :) From my e4 openings, this has the highest winning percentage. At least at my level, people typically do not know what they are doing, so I get a huge development advantage chasing the opponent's queen, and sometimes even trap the queen. Of course, GMs may know what they do, but otherwise I don't see any advantages for the black. IMHO, Sicilian or e5 are much bettter responses to e4.
I consider myself as a "beginner" with rating 1500 in blitz games(3-5 minutes). I have now played several games where my opponent plays d5 in answer to my opening e4. So the line is: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5
As I understand it black looses tempo by bringing out the queen that early so "why play this opening?". Can anyone tell my if this opening is "ok" for black - and if so what is blacks plan?