thoughts on the Scotch Game?

I like the malt gambit while playing the Bourbon. 

Accepted or declined?

Declined if I have to work in the morning. 

I personally don't recommend playing scotch, but if you are, then play the b3 bb2 nd2 0-0-0 variant, the others ones are fine and probably better but they aren't very ambitious

What is the response for white if it goes: 4. ... Qh4? As in this quick loss I played recently: https://www.chess.com/live/game/2721382985.

Scotch is amazing but try scotch gambit 🤓

Weak, they are England´s backyard. That should be enough to steer you away from it.

5. Nc3

The Scotch Game is definitely just as sound as the Ruy Lopez or Italian. It is just not preferred because it releases the central tension earlier. it is a viable choice even for Super Gms

I really like the Scotch game, I wanted a opening that wasn't the Ruy Lopez or Italian and well, I'm scottish (though it should be the Scots game imo, not Scotch, Scotch is a drink, Scots are the people and it was so named after it was played by a group of Scottish players in a correspondence game with England) now it's my go to weapon in any shorter time controls against e5.

As Holy Crusader mentioned, it's the lack of tension that seems to put super GMs off but for a non-GM level player, like myself obviously, I find this to be a reasonable bonus. The Scotch Gambit is fun too and one of those "not quite a gambit gambit" types as you either win the pawn back pretty easily or get a really effective initiative.

once you're comfortable with a few of the moves you wouldn't normally play in an opening it's not hat hard and I honestly dispute anyone that thinks it's some patzer opening. If anyone is familiar with Hanging Pawns, the youtube guy, he's rated 1800-1900 OTB and was demolished by someone he's coaching in the Scotch in a game he posted online, and this was with white missing chances too.

Nc3 is the first move, but the real trick is, if black attacks the pawn again, giving it up, playing Be7, then Nb5 to fork black on c7 and win the rook. 

The critical line runs 4...Qh4 5 Nc3 Bb4 6 Be2 Qxe4 7 Nb5 Bxc3+ 8 bxc3 Kd8 9 0-0 Nf6. White has good compensation for the pawn. Black has a pawn. Pick your side

Just to go off-topic. Kasparov should have beat Kramnik and he is a way better player. 

In fact, he is the greatest of all time.

It leads to the most interesting games, just like everything which isn't mainstream.

Usually 5. Nxc6 is not a good idea.

Nxc6 isn't considered good for white and I believe (I may be wrong) f3 is the move to protect e4, as it also restricts the F6 knight moving to g4. f3 is certainly a move played in the scotch almost automatically in response to Nf6 in a lot of lines.

Not really that instructive showing black crushing a player who clearly had absolutely no idea what he was doing with the opening.

Like I said initially, you do have to be familiar with some of it's peculiarities to know that f3 in this case is good.

I think it’s an amazing opening for beginners playing white. Some GMs play it once in a while. Very tricky for both sides and doesn’t require much theory to use. 

when you get to a higher Elo it can always be an option but it is not as good as black can equalize easier.

Nonetheless it is a good opening with some traps and is pretty solid. It is even better if they decline so they have to accept meaning less theory to memorize. For example with d6 white has a winning position after d5. 

and with f6 white was a winning position by trading. Stockfish says it’s a 1.8 advantage which is winning unless you blunder or don’t develop well.

There is also a trap that resembles the Damianos defense if knight takes back. I recommend learning the Damiano defense .

I think it is very cool and awesome and I would recommend it