In-depth look at the Scotch Gambit

The Scotch Gambit arises after the moves 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 (or perhaps 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 Nc6) and then, instead of playing 4.c3 giving us the Göring Gambit, White plays 4.Bc4.

At my slowly-expanding Gambiteers' Guild openings site, I have uploaded a series of games and analysis, in the same format as my most up-to-date coverage of Göring Gambit and King's Gambit lines, covering the Scotch Gambit.  I have focused particularly on the continuations 4...Bc5 5.c3 Nf6 (which transposes to the Giuoco Piano) and 4...Nf6 (which transposes to the Two Knights Defence with 4.d4 exd4).  Both of these lines are commonly recommended to young and improving players, and offer reasonable practical chances at the club level too.

I have also provided quite an extensive list of internet articles for further reading.

A quick summary of the key points:

1.  Alternatives to 4...Bc5 and 4...Nf6 are not too challenging, though it is worth knowing about 4...d6 and 4...Be7 (both of which aim to steer play into a Hungarian Defence- in both cases 5.c3 is playable but 5.Nxd4 is objectively best) and 4...g6, against which I don't think White gets any advantage with 5.Nxd4, and should therefore prefer 5.c3.

2.  After 4...Bc5 neither side has a good alternative to accepting the transposition to the Giuoco Piano with 5.c3 Nf6.

3.  After 4...Bc5 5.c3 Nf6, 6.e5 and 6.0-0 are both fully playable and suffice for dynamic equality.  6.0-0 is a gambit continuation while 6.e5 tends to be more positional.

4.  After 4...Bc5 5.c3 Nf6 6.cxd4 Bb4+, 7.Nbd2!? is an interesting sideline which can lead to unbalanced and equal play, 7.Bd2 is safe but can lead to level situations, and 7.Nc3 is tricky but probably not fully sound.

5.  After 4...Nf6 5.e5, the Modern Two Knights, 5...d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4 leads to relatively positional channels, but White can usually get some long-term attacking chances on the kingside.  5...Ne4 tends to lead to open and tactical play with chances for both sides, and White has three good responses, but 5...Ng4 (recently recommended by James Schuyler in his book The Dark Knight System) is currently proving problematic, with Black having a choice of promising continuations.

6.  After 4...Nf6 5.0-0, White gets good chances in the Max Lange Attack with 5...Bc5 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.fxg7! Rg8 9.Re1+ followed by 10.Bg5.

7.  After 4...Nf6 5.0-0 Nxe4 6.Re1 d5, the Canal Variation 7.Nc3 appears dubious but 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3 leads to equal chances after 8...Qa5 or 8...Qh5.  Stefan Bücker has introduced an interesting pawn sacrifice idea that works in both variations (9.Nxe4 Be6 10.Neg5 0-0-0 11.Nxe6 fxe6 12.Bg5!?, with the idea 12...Re8 13.Re4) but it seems that even the traditional lines (8...Qh5 9.Nxe4 Be6 10.Bg5 for instance) offer both sides reasonable scope to play for a win below grandmaster level.

I've also tried to look at these lines from both sides' point of view- particularly the Two Knights lines as I also have a fair amount of experience from the black side of those.

The Two Knights Defence with d4

Michael Goeller at his Kenilworthian blog has posted an article covering the line 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Nf6 4.d4 exd4 5.e5 Ng4!?.  The position after Black's fourth move is important as it can also arise from the Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Nf6) and the Urusov Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Bc4 Nf6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nf3 Nc6).

http://kenilworthian.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/the-two-knights-anti-modern.html

In my most up-to-date coverage of the 5.e5 line, I also regarded 5...Ng4 to be a good response for Black, and Goeller's coverage, based on seven annotated games, has continued to reinforce that view.

But all is not lost for fans of the 4.d4 Two Knights lines or the Scotch or Urusov Gambits.  I feel that 5.0-0 gives White rather better practical chances at club level, and many of the 5.0-0 lines have been revived by Stefan Bücker and Lev Gutman.  For example see the article "A Rook With a View" which covers an interesting pawn sacrifice idea for White in the famous line 5...Nxe4 6.Re1 d5 7.Bxd5 Qxd5 8.Nc3.  Another important point is that the line of the Max Lange Attack with 5...Bc5 6.e5 d5 7.exf6 dxc4 8.fxg7!, with Re1+ and Bg5 to follow, is doing well for White.  My most up-to-date coverage of the 5.0-0 lines is available here.