Learn the Scandinavian Defense
Black vs 1.e4 · B01
Your goal: play the Scandinavian Defense from memory as Black — keep every move right for two weeks and it's mastered.
Choose a line — start with the main line
Watch the moves · play them from memory · spar: play the opening out against the computer.
You'll play Black — watch each move, I'll explain.
Intro
1. e41… d52. exd52… Qxd53. Nc33… Qa54. d44… Nf6
What you're training
Hit the centre at once with 1...d5, recapture with the queen and park it on a5 after Nc3, then develop with ...Nf6, ...c6, ...Bf5 or ...Bg4, and ...e6 into a solid, easy-to-play setup.
Strengths
- ...d5 challenges e4 immediately — the most direct strike there is — and after the trade Black has no central pawn tension to manage.
- Recapturing with the queen breaks the rule about early queen moves, but the queen retreats once to a safe square (a5 or d6) and the lost tempo is small.
- Black gets the light-squared bishop out of the chain easily, to f5 or g4, before playing ...e6 — no bad bishop, unlike the French.
- It's a low-theory, structurally sound defence: Black aims for a solid ...c6, ...e6 set-up and a reliable middlegame rather than sharp memorized lines.
Watch out for
- After ...Qa5, watch out for White's b4 and Nd5 ideas that hit the queen and gain tempo — keep the queen's retreat squares in mind.
- Don't leave the queen exposed in the centre; tuck it away promptly or White develops with gain of time and a lasting initiative.
- Get the light-squared bishop out before ...e6, or you give up the one structural plus the Scandinavian offers over the French.