Chessply

Course

Scotch Defence

Meet the Scotch as Black: Classical, Mieses, Gambit, and key sidelines at full depth.

Lines learned

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0/14 completed · 0/0 solved

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Branch map

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1

Classical

vs ...Bc5

Mieses

Gambit

Sideline

More ways to train

WalkthroughWatch a move, then play it back.Learn by PlayingFind the repertoire move on the board.PracticeRecall the rest of the line from memory.Opening quizTimed quiz on lines you already know.Play vs botUse the opening in a real game.

About the Scotch Defence

Meet the Scotch as Black: Classical, Mieses, Gambit, and key sidelines at full depth.

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.

You play
Black
Level
Intermediate
Lines
14
Positions
105

Main line

Every branch in this course grows out of this opening sequence.

1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6

What you'll learn

14 lines and 105 positions to recall.

Show all 14 lines

  1. 1. Meet the Scotch as Black

    1...e5, ...Nc6, ...exd4, and choose ...Nf6.

  2. 2. Classical ...Nf6 and ...Bb4

    Pin Nc3, break with ...d5, and complete development.

  3. 3. Classical: castle before ...d5

    A refined move order when White is ready for exd5 tricks.

  4. 4. Schmidt shell as Black

    ...d6/...Be7 without early pins: solid and flexible.

  5. 5. Classical vs e5 push

    When White refuses exd5, reroute ...Nd7-c5 and undermine with ...f6.

  6. 6. Classical ...Bc5 system

    ...Bc5, ...Qf6, ...Nge7 and a healthy kingside shell.

  7. 7. ...Bc5 vs Nb3

    Tuck the bishop and castle against White's long-castle plan.

  8. 8. Modern ...Qf6 vs Qd2

    Meet queenside castling plans with accurate ...Bb6/...Ng6.

  9. 9. Quiet ...Bc5 without ...Qf6

    Bb6, develop, and time the ...d5 break.

  10. 10. Mieses as Black

    Meet Nxc6/e5 with ...Qe7, ...Nd5, and ...Ba6.

  11. 11. Vs the Scotch Gambit

    Punish delayed recapture with ...Nf6 and ...d5.

  12. 12. Know ...Qh4 (Steinitz)

    A sharp sideline: understand the risks and the king walk.

  13. 13. Early ...Nxd4 trade

    Simplify into a calm structure with ...Ne7-c6.

  14. 14. Vs 4.c3 (delayed take)

    Meet Scotch-adjacent c3 with ...d5 and active pieces.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Scotch Defence course on Chessply?
Meet the Scotch as Black: Classical, Mieses, Gambit, and key sidelines at full depth. It covers 14 lines built from 105 positions you play move by move.
Which side do you play in the Scotch Defence?
You play Black. The course opens with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 and branches by White's setup.
How do I start learning the Scotch Defence?
Open the course and press Continue session. You watch the next move, play it back, and the branch map unlocks the following line. Nothing is quizzed before you have seen it.
Is the Scotch Defence course free?
Yes. There is no paid plan. You can train without an account, and signing in keeps your progress in sync across devices.
How long does it take to memorise the Scotch Defence?
Recall is capped at five lines a day, so a session is short and repeatable. The schedule stretches the gap between reviews each time you remember a line correctly.

Related openings

These courses start from the same first move, so what you learn here carries over.