The Practical Scandinavian

We begin with ten representative routes through the repertoire, from White's early gambits to the main bishop-and-knight systems. Our queen usually retreats to a5, the light-squared bishop develops before ...e6, and ...c6 prepares a useful retreat to c7. The exception to remember is the pawn structure after Nxf6+: doubled f-pawns give central control and a half-open g-file, but they require a fresh decision about king safety.

1. Line 11.e4 d5 2.Nf3 dxe4 3.Ng5 e5 4.d3 Be7 5.Nxe4 f5FreeLearn
2. Line 2… 1…d5 2.e5 Bf5 3.d4 e6 4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Qb6 7.Bxc6+ bxc6 8.O-O a5Premium
3. Line 3… 1…d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d4 Bf5 6.Ne2 e6 7.Bd2 c6 8.O-O Qc7 9.Ng3 Bg6 10.f4 Bd6Premium
4. Line 4… 3…Qa5 4.b4 Qxb4 5.Nb5 Qa5 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Bb2 c6 8.Bxf6 gxf6Premium
5. Line 5… 3…Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bd2 c6 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.f3 Bh5 8.h4 Bg6 9.Bc4 Qc7Premium
6. Line 6… 4…Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.O-O e6 9.Re1 Be7 10.Bd2 Qc7Premium
7. Line 7… 5…c6 6.Bd2 Bf5 7.Ne4 Qc7 8.Nxf6+ gxf6 9.g3 Nd7 10.Bg2 Bg7Premium
8. Line 8… 5…c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.O-O e6 8.Re1 Be7 9.Bd2 Qc7Premium
9. Line 9… 6…Bf5 7.Ne5 e6 8.g4 Bg6 9.h4 Nbd7 10.Nxd7 Nxd7 11.h5 Be4 12.Rh3 Bg2 13.Re3 Bd5 14.Bxd5 cxd5 15.Bd2 Rc8Premium
10. Line 10… 6…Bf5 7.Bd2 e6 8.Qe2 Qc7 9.O-O-O Bb4 10.a3 Bxc3 11.Bxc3 Nbd7Premium

White can avoid the standard queen chase by closing the centre, offering a pawn or developing a piece before exchanging. We respond to the actual centre: gain space against Nc3, accept the central gambits with quick development, and use active pieces against early queen moves. The recurring lesson is to defend through development when possible. An extra pawn matters only when our pieces and king are ready for the resulting position.

1. Line 11.e4 d5 2.Nc3 d4 3.Nce2 e5 4.Ng3 Be6 5.Nf3 f6Premium
2. Line 2… 3…e5 4.d3 c5 5.f4 Nc6 6.Nf3 exf4 7.Nxf4 Bd6Premium
3. Line 3… 1…d5 2.Nf3 dxe4 3.Ne5 Nd7 4.Nxd7 Bxd7 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.d3 Bc6Premium
4. Line 4… 2…dxe4 3.Ng5 e5 4.d4 Qxd4 5.Qxd4 exd4 6.Nxe4 Nc6Premium
5. Line 5… 1…d5 2.d4 dxe4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.f3 exf3 5.Qxf3 g6 6.Be3 Bg7 7.O-O-O O-OPremium
6. Line 6… 4…exf3 5.Nxf3 g6 6.Bc4 Bg7 7.O-O O-OPremium
7. Line 7… 1…d5 2.e5 Bf5 3.d4 e6 4.Nf3 c5 5.c3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Qb6 7.Ba4 Bg4 8.O-O cxd4 9.cxd4 Ne7 10.Nc3 Ng6Premium
8. Line 8… 1…d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.d4 Nc6 4.Nf3 e5 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd2 Bxc3 7.Bxc3 e4 8.Ne5 Nxe5 9.dxe5 Ne7Premium
9. Line 9… 2…Qxd5 3.c4 Qe4+ 4.Qe2 Qxe2+ 5.Nxe2 Nc6 6.d4 Nb4 7.Kd2 Bf5Premium
10. Line 10… 2…Qxd5 3.Qf3 Nf6 4.Qxd5 Nxd5 5.Bc4 Nb6Premium
11. Line 11… 2…Qxd5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Nc3 Qe6+ 5.Qe2 Qxe2+ 6.Bxe2 Nc6Premium
12. Line 12… 4…Qe6+ 5.Be2 Bxf3 6.gxf3 Nc6Premium
13. Line 13… 3…Bg4 4.Be2 Nc6 5.Nc3 Qd7 6.O-O O-O-OPremium
14. Line 14… 4…Nc6 5.O-O O-O-O 6.h3 h5Premium

White's fourth move determines whether we meet a quiet centre, an active bishop or the b-pawn gambit. Our queen may retreat several times, so every other move should develop a piece or solve a concrete threat. Against a bishop on c4, supported queenside pawn moves can gain time; against the gambit, c7 is the tactical square to watch. We accept material without confusing it with permission to neglect development.

1. Line 11.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d3 Nf6 5.Nf3 g6 6.Bd2 Bg7 7.g3 O-OPremium
2. Line 2… 3…Qa5 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.d3 c6 6.Bd2 Qc7 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 e6 9.O-O-O a5 10.a3 a4 11.Ba2 b4Premium
3. Line 3… 8…e6 9.Nf3 Be7 10.O-O O-OPremium
4. Line 4… 3…Qa5 4.b4 Qxb4 5.Rb1 Qd6 6.d4 Nf6 7.Nf3 g6 8.Nb5 Qd8 9.Bf4 Na6Premium
5. Line 5… 5…Qd6 6.Bc4 Nf6 7.Nf3 a6 8.O-O b5 9.Bb3 e6Premium
6. Line 6… 5…Qd6 6.Nf3 Nf6 7.Nb5 Qd8 8.Bc4 a6Premium
7. Line 7… 3…Qa5 4.Nf3 c6 5.Bc4 Nf6 6.O-O Bg4 7.h3 Bh5 8.d4 e6 9.Re1 Be7 10.Bd2 Qc7Premium
8. Line 8… 5…Nf6 6.d3 Bg4 7.h3 Qh5 8.O-O Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Qxf3 10.gxf3 Nbd7Premium
9. Line 9… 5…Nf6 6.Qe2 b5 7.Bb3 e6 8.O-O Be7 9.d3 O-O 10.Bd2 Qc7Premium

An early Bd2 places White's bishop behind the c3 knight, preparing a discovered attack on our queen. We arrange the queen's retreat and develop our light-squared bishop actively, often on g4. White can choose f3, Nge2 or an immediate knight jump, and each choice changes the tactical details. The memorable pattern is the mutual queen capture after Ne4: our bishop on g4 must be included in the calculation before either queen is declared lost.

1. Line 11.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bd2 c6 6.Bd3 Bg4 7.Nf3 e6 8.O-O Qc7 9.h3 Bh5 10.Re1 Nbd7 11.Ne4 Be7Premium
2. Line 2… 6…Bg4 7.Nge2 e6 8.O-O Be7Premium
3. Line 3… 6…Bg4 7.Ne4 Nxe4 8.Bxa5 Bxd1 9.Rxd1 Nf6Premium
4. Line 4… 6…Bg4 7.f3 Bh5 8.Nge2 Bg6 9.Ne4 Qb6 10.Nxf6+ gxf6Premium
5. Line 5… 5…c6 6.Ne4 Qc7 7.Bd3 Nxe4 8.Bxe4 Nd7 9.Nf3 Nf6 10.Bd3 Bg4Premium
6. Line 6… 6…Qc7 7.Nxf6+ gxf6 8.Bc4 Bf5 9.Qh5 Bg6 10.Qf3 Nd7Premium

White's sixth-move alternatives mostly revolve around central knights or a quieter bishop placement. We challenge an advanced knight with ...Nbd7 and keep the light-squared bishop active outside the pawn chain. Exchanges on f6 create doubled f-pawns, whose value depends on central play and king placement. The main plan is to coordinate before expanding: a supported ...e5 or a well-timed exchange can solve more problems than a series of pawn moves against a single piece.

1. Line 11.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Ne5 Be6 7.f4 Nbd7 8.Bd3 g6 9.O-O Bg7Premium
2. Line 2… 6…Be6 7.Bc4 Bxc4 8.Nxc4 Qa6 9.Qe2 e6Premium
3. Line 3… 6…Be6 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.Nxd7 Bxd7 9.O-O Bg4Premium
4. Line 4… 5…c6 6.Bd2 Bf5 7.Be2 Nbd7 8.O-O e6Premium
5. Line 5… 6…Bf5 7.Ne5 Nbd7 8.Nxd7 Nxd7Premium
6. Line 6… 6…Bf5 7.Ne4 Qc7 8.Ng3 Bg6 9.h4 Nh5 10.Nxh5 Bxh5 11.Be2 e6Premium
7. Line 7… 7…Qc7 8.Nxf6+ gxf6 9.g3 Nd7 10.Bf4 e5 11.dxe5 fxe5 12.Be3 O-O-O 13.Qe2 Nf6Premium

When White castles early, we usually complete a compact kingside setup and then contest the d4 pawn. Our bishop on f5 may be chased by Nh4, giving White the bishop pair; recapturing with the h-pawn changes the rook files and requires attention to king safety. The position often remains balanced or close to it. We aim for active knights and coordinated central pressure, respecting the scope of White's bishops when lines open.

1. Line 11.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.O-O e6 8.Bf4 Be7 9.Re1 O-O 10.Ne5 Nbd7Premium
2. Line 2… 7…e6 8.Qe2 Be7 9.Nh4 Bg6 10.Nxg6 hxg6Premium
3. Line 3… 7…e6 8.Ne5 Nbd7 9.Nxd7 Nxd7 10.Re1 Be7Premium
4. Line 4… 7…e6 8.Nh4 Nbd7 9.Nxf5 Qxf5 10.Bd3 Qa5 11.Re1 Be7Premium

The knight on e5 gives White central presence and supports a kingside pawn advance. We answer with development and a challenge from d7, then react carefully to the recapture: a rook on e5 and a pawn on e5 create different targets. If g4 and h4 chase our bishop, central exchanges can uncover queen tactics before the bishop retreats. Our plan is active defence through the centre, with king safety completed as soon as the tactics allow.

1. Line 11.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Ne5 e6 8.O-O Nbd7 9.Re1 Nxe5 10.Rxe5 Qc7 11.h3 O-O-OPremium
2. Line 2… 9…Nxe5 10.dxe5 Ng4 11.Qe2 Bc5 12.Nd1 O-O-OPremium
3. Line 3… 7…e6 8.Bd2 Nbd7 9.Qe2 Qc7 10.O-O-O b5 11.Bb3 h5Premium
4. Line 4… 7…e6 8.g4 Bg6 9.h4 Nbd7 10.h5 Nxe5 11.dxe5 Qxe5+ 12.Be3 Be4Premium

With Bd2 and Bc4 developed, White can uncover the bishop against our queen by moving the c3 knight to e4 or d5. The d5 route controls c7, forcing our queen home before an exchange on f6 creates doubled pawns. We use the half-open g-file when appropriate, but White's central room often gives a small edge. The plan to remember is coordinated counterplay: develop the remaining knight, arrange king safety and challenge the support of d4.

1. Line 11.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Bd2 e6 8.Ne4 Qc7 9.Ng3 Bg6 10.O-O Bd6Premium
2. Line 2… 8…Qc7 9.Nxf6+ gxf6 10.O-O Nd7 11.Re1 Rg8Premium
3. Line 3… 7…e6 8.Nd5 Qd8 9.Nxf6+ gxf6 10.c3 Nd7 11.Nh4 Bg6 12.Qe2 Be7 13.O-O Qa5Premium
4. Line 4… 9…gxf6 10.Qe2 Bxc2 11.O-O Bg6 12.Rfe1 Qd6Premium
5. Line 5… 9…gxf6 10.Bb3 Nd7 11.Qe2 Qc7 12.O-O-O O-O-O 13.Nh4 Bg6Premium
6. Line 6… 9…gxf6 10.O-O Nd7 11.Re1 Rg8 12.d5 cxd5 13.Nd4 Bg4 14.Be2 Bxe2 15.Qxe2 Ne5Premium