For White· 18 lines

Scotch Game - Classical Variation (4...Bc5, after 2...Nc6 3.d4 3...exd4 4.Nxd4)

Let's learn the Classical Variation! Black develops the bishop to c5, attacking our knight on d4 twice. We trade that knight on c6, then castle kingside to get safe. Let's begin with 1.e4.

Learn this chapter free

Main line

Scroll the moves: the board follows.

Key lines

The free lines of this chapter, each one trainable move by move.

  1. Main Line: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bf4
    Main Line

    … 6... d6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bf4

  2. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxc6 7. Nc3 Ne7 8. Bg5
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxc6 7. Nc3 Ne7 8. Bg5

  3. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxc6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2 Nf6 9. O-O-O d6 10. Bb5 Bg4 11. Qg3 O-O 12. Bxc6 Bxd1 13. Bxb7
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxc6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2 Nf6 9. O-O-O d6 10. Bb5 Bg4 11. Qg3 O-O 12. Bxc6 Bxd1 13. Bxb7

  4. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxc6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2 Nf6 9. O-O-O O-O 10. Bd3
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxc6 7. Nc3 Bb4 8. Bd2 Nf6 9. O-O-O O-O 10. Bd3

  5. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxc6 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. e5 Qxf3 9. gxf3 Nh5 10. Nd5 Kd8 11. Bg5+ f6 12. exf6 gxf6 13. Be3
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxc6 7. Nc3 Nf6 8. e5 Qxf3 9. gxf3 Nh5 10. Nd5 Kd8 11. Bg5+ f6 12. exf6 gxf6 13. Be3

  6. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7. gxf3 bxc6 8. Be3 Bb6 9. a4 Nf6 10. Nc3
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7. gxf3 bxc6 8. Be3 Bb6 9. a4 Nf6 10. Nc3

  7. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7. gxf3 dxc6 8. Be3 Bd6 9. Nd2
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7. gxf3 dxc6 8. Be3 Bd6 9. Nd2

  8. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7. gxf3 dxc6 8. Be3 Bb6 9. Bc4
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7. gxf3 dxc6 8. Be3 Bb6 9. Bc4

  9. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7. gxf3 dxc6 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. fxe3 Be6 10. Nd2 O-O-O 11. Nb3 g5 12. Rg1
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 Qxf3 7. gxf3 dxc6 8. Be3 Bxe3 9. fxe3 Be6 10. Nd2 O-O-O 11. Nb3 g5 12. Rg1

  10. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 dxc6 7. Nc3 Qxf3 8. gxf3 Nf6 9. a4
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 dxc6 7. Nc3 Qxf3 8. gxf3 Nf6 9. a4

  11. 5...Qf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 dxc6 7. Nc3 Be6 8. Be3 Bb4 9. O-O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Qxc3 11. Bd4 Qxf3 12. gxf3
    5...Qf6

    … 5. Nxc6 Qf6 6. Qf3 dxc6 7. Nc3 Be6 8. Be3 Bb4 9. O-O-O Bxc3 10. bxc3 Qxc3 11. Bd4 Qxf3 12. gxf3

  12. 6...Nf6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 Nf6
    6...Nf6

    … 6. Bd3 Nf6

  13. 6...Ne7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nd2 d6 9. Kh1
    6...Ne7

    … 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nd2 d6 9. Kh1

  14. 6...Ne7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nd2 Ng6 9. Qh5 d6 10. Nf3
    6...Ne7

    … 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nd2 Ng6 9. Qh5 d6 10. Nf3

  15. 6...Ne7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nd2 d5 9. Qh5 h6 10. Re1
    6...Ne7

    … 6. Bd3 Ne7 7. O-O O-O 8. Nd2 d5 9. Qh5 h6 10. Re1

  16. 7...Ne7: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d6 7. O-O Ne7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Kh1
    7...Ne7

    … 7. O-O Ne7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Kh1

  17. 7...h6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d6 7. O-O h6 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Na4 Bb6 10. b3
    7...h6

    … 7. O-O h6 8. Nc3 Nf6 9. Na4 Bb6 10. b3

  18. 8...h6: position after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. Bd3 d6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nc3 h6 9. Na4 Bb6 10. b3
    8...h6

    … 8. Nc3 h6 9. Na4 Bb6 10. b3

Other chapters

All chapters of the Scotch Game

Learn Classical Variation (4...Bc5, after 2...Nc6 3.d4 3...exd4 4.Nxd4) on the board

The trainer plays the opponent's moves and waits for yours, line by line. Free to start.

Learn this chapter free