Course
A full White Scotch repertoire. Classical 4...Nf6, Mieses, ...Bc5, the sharp sidelines, and the Scotch Gambit, taken into typical middlegames.
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A full White Scotch repertoire. Classical 4...Nf6, Mieses, ...Bc5, the sharp sidelines, and the Scotch Gambit, taken into typical middlegames.
This is a playable repertoire, not a video course. You meet each position on the board, play the move yourself, and the opponent answers with the reply club players actually choose. Lines you have seen come back on a spaced schedule so they survive past the day you learned them.
Every branch in this course grows out of this opening sequence.
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4
80 lines and 516 positions to recall.
Reach 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4. The Scotch starting point.
After ...exd4, plant a strong knight and develop toward Classical lines.
Develop Nc3 and keep the centre under control.
Trade on c6 and develop Bd3.
After Bg5 c6 Qf3, play Rae1 and keep pressure on d5 and f6.
If Black takes on c3 early, recapture bxc3 and play Qf3 plus Ba3 ideas.
If Black castles before ...d5, play O-O, Bg5, and wait for the break.
If Black jumps ...Ne4, take it or play Bxe4 ideas after Bd3.
Sometimes taking on f6 is right. If the queen recaptures, play Qf3. Do not take on d5, c6 protects that pawn.
Meet early ...Qf6 with Be3 and solid development.
Meet 4...Qf6 with Be3, c3, and Be2. Castle and play Nd2.
If Black mixes ...Qf6 with ...Bc5, play Nb5 or Be3 and c3.
The main mix: Be3, c3, and Nb5 or Nxc6. Keep the extra centre pawn.
Quiet ...d6 and ...Be7. Play Be2, O-O, and f4. Do not rush Nxc6.
When Black plays ...d6 instead of ...Bb4, expand with f4.
Against the quiet Schmidt, play Bc4, O-O, and f4. Keep the knight on d4.
If Black takes on d4 early, recapture Qxd4 and play Be3, O-O-O, or Be2.
5.Nc3 can transpose to a Scotch Four Knights. Play Be2 or Bc4 and castle.
An alternative to Nxc6: Bd2, then a3 and Nxc6 on your terms.
Meet 5...Bc5 with Be3 or Nxc6. Then Qd2 and O-O-O is a sharp option.
Neutralize the active bishop with Be3.
Nb3, Nc3, and Bg5. Keep the initiative.
The Nb3 system with ...Nge7. Play a4, Be3, Qd2, and O-O-O. Do not put the queen on g4 where ...Be6 can take it.
Meet ...Bb4+ with c3. Then a4 and N1d2, a healthy plus.
Taking on c6 vs ...Bc5. Recapture Qd5 ideas, then Bd3 and O-O.
a4-a5 gains queenside space vs ...Bb6. Then Be2 and O-O.
Qd2, O-O-O, and h4. Opposite-side attacking Scotch.
When Black mixes ...Nge7 and ...d5, take on d5 and play Nc3.
A simple system: Be2, O-O, c3, and Nd2. No Nb5 required.
A common modern mix. Reinforce d4 and castle.
The main tabiya with ...d6. Play Nd2, f4, and Qe2.
If the queen goes to g6, play Nd2, O-O, and f4. Watch ...Qxg2 traps.
Qd2 prepares O-O-O. A sharper Classical ...Bc5.
If Black breaks with ...d5, take and play Nc3. The centre opens.
Be3, c3, Bc4 and Nb5 ideas against ...Qf6/...Nge7.
After Bxb6 axb6 Nb5, play N1a3, Be2, and O-O. Target c7 and d6.
Meet ...Qe7 with c3, Be2, and O-O. Do not rush Nb5.
If Black tucks ...Bb6 early, play c3, Be2, and O-O. Meet ...Nf6 with Nd2.
Stay calm when Black's queen comes swinging.
The main punishment vs ...Qh4. After Nb5, castle and hunt the king.
If Black develops instead of taking e4, Be2 and O-O. Do not jump Nf5, the queen takes that knight.
Interpose with c3 and gain a tempo on the bishop.
If the bishop retreats to e7, play Bc4, O-O, and Re1.
If the bishop goes to c5, transpose to a c3 Scotch vs ...Bc5.
Meet ...Nf6 with Nxc6 and e5. Sharp Scotch space.
After Nxc6 and e5, play the space-gaining c4/b3 structures.
The main Mieses: e5 Qe7 Qe2 Nd5 c4 Ba6 b3. Then g3 and Bg2.
After 7...Nd5, g3 and Bg2 is a solid alternative to the sharp 8.c4.
Meet 6...Ne4 with Qd3, then Qe3, Be2, and O-O.
A development-first Mieses: Bf4, Nc3, O-O-O, without an early c4.
If Black castles long, play g3, Bg2, and O-O. Attack on the queenside later.
After c4 Nb6, play Nc3, b3, and Bb2. You can castle long if Black is slow.
If Black fianchettos without ...Ba6, still play c4, g3, and Bg2.
If queens come off in the Mieses, play Bd2, Nc3, and O-O-O. Target c6 and a7.
If Black plays ...d6 immediately, take on d6 or push e6 as a wedge.
The e6 pawn sacrifice idea: clog Black's development and attack f7.
A quieter Mieses: g3, Bg2, O-O, and c4. No queenside castling required.
If the queen goes to e6, play Nc3, Bd2, and Qe3 off the a6 diagonal. Keep e5 supported.
When Black trades on d4, take with the queen and develop.
The ambitious 6.e5 vs 4...Nxd4. Then Be2, O-O, and Bf4. Do not let Black take on e5 with the queen for free.
Quiet ...d6. Play Nc3, Be3, and O-O-O or Be2.
Meet 4...Qe7 with Nb5 or Nc3. Then Be2 and O-O.
Meet 4...g6 with Nc3, Be3, and Qd2. Then O-O-O.
Meet 4...Nge7 with Nc3, Be3, and Qd2. A quiet plus.
Delay the recapture. Bc4 fights for the initiative.
Delay Nxd4 with Bc4 and punish ...Nf6 with e5.
The main gambit vs ...Nf6. After Nxd4 Bd7, play Bxc6 and O-O.
If Black takes on c3, recapture Nxc3 and play O-O plus e5.
The Max Lange-style mix. Play e5 d5 Bb5 and castle.
Castle immediately. Then c3 and the same e5 ideas.
The sharp 5.Ng5 hunt of f7. Then Qh5 and Nxf7 ideas.
If Black plays ...d6, take on d4 with the knight and play Nc3.
Quiet ...Be7. Take on d4, play Nc3, and castle.
Ignore ...h6. Take on d4 and play Nc3, O-O, and h3 of your own.
Meet 4...Qf6 with O-O and c3. Then Re1 and e5.
A calm gambit: castle, then e5 or cxd4. Convert the pawn later.
Meet ...d6 with dxe5 and convert a better endgame.
Meet 3...Nf6 with dxe5 Nxe4 Qd5. Then Bd3 and O-O.
Deeper vs the decline. After the queen trade, play Nxe5 and O-O.
The space-gaining 4.d5 vs the decline. Then c4 and Nc3, a King's Indian in reverse.
These courses start from the same first move, so what you learn here carries over.