Is the Scotch Opening a good opening?
Possibly helpful:
Playing 1.e4 - Caro-Kann, 1...e5 and Minor Lines by John Shaw
http://www.qualitychess.co.uk/ebooks/Playing1e4CaroKannandothers-excerpt.pdf
I used to play that when I was five. Didn't have good results, probably because I didn't know what I was doing.

its a pretty decent opening, but if you are still a novice, the scotch is a absolute destroyer of players 1400 and below if you learn the main ideas. but besides that, it is still an excellent opening.
its a pretty decent opening, but if you are still a novice, the scotch is a absolute destroyer of players 1400 and below if you learn the main ideas. but besides that, it is still an excellent opening.
every opening is a absolute destroyer of players < 1400

haha, I was referring to when you're a beginner playing other beginners. it's one of those openings that ppl who dont have a good understanding of basic positional chess get crushed. I played it for several years and didnt change until I hit class B otb. And it's not like I switched because it's weak, but rather for a breath of fresh air.Still do it play from time to time..and still loyal to the its sidelines
tldr; When against players with lack of positional understanding /opening concepts, you are on the offensive by default. if i play a lower rated player and would like an easy game i still play it.
Its pretty good. Its great if the opponent is not prepared and most people aren't. There are a few different 'problem' variations that are really difficult or I guess impossible to solve if black IS prepared, unfortunately. But even in that case there still exists some more modest lines like the scotch 4 knights that probably wont ever run out of interesting ideas even if the advantage is not so great.
What do you mean by "good"?
Jeremy Silman has mentioned it. Does anything more need to be said?

Pretty interesting gambit.
Seems like Urusov gambit.
Personnally i would never take the e pawn as black, not entering into what white wants, clear compensations.
Simply 5...Bc5 when white's development seems strange to me...
I searched some games, and we can use this one as a model treatment for black :
Don't tell me it is Anand : right but black did nothing really "special" to get an advantage : developing, unpinning with g5 and winning material...

Thank you for all your answers and the scotch (depending on how you play it) is what you can make it to be. Thank you all for your help, again.

It seems to me that Black can afford picking the pawn.
The e6 knight offers good protection from the direct threats, and I don't see a clear way to get compensation.
8.Re1+ is probably not best, yet it is the only move played OTB so far.
Why would White play 5.Bb5?
5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 and now 8...Nb6 or 8...Ba6 (matter of taste for Black).
I personally find the most enjoyable games using Santasiere's Folly (1.nf3...d5, 2.b4) those games are fun, but you'll get scorched by 1800+, unless you're Anthony Santasiere, himself.
Help me out please; Is the Scotch Opening a good opening?