C45 Scotch Game
C45 holds 28 named lines, all under the name Scotch Game. It leaves C44, a position of the same name, with 4.Nxd4. Material is no longer level at the end of four of its lines; the widest gap, three pawns in White’s favour, comes in Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Intermezzo Variation. That final move, by the knight, opens a line for the queen on d1 and attacks the knight on c6.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e5 |
| 2 | Nf3 | Nc6 |
| 3 | d4 | exd4 |
| 4 | Nxd4 |
Moves only C45 plays
Same as C44 up to 2...Nc6, then:
- 3.d4 The d-pawn advances two squares to d4, covering c5 and e5, opening a line for the bishop on c1 and the queen on d1.
- 3...exd4 The e-pawn takes the pawn on d4, covering c3 and e3.
- 4.Nxd4 The knight on f3 takes the pawn on d4, opening a line for the queen on d1, attacking the knight on c6.
Lines filed under C45
All 28 share their first seven plies, the whole reference line and then split five ways at Black’s move 4.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotch Game | (the shared start itself) | 7 | |
| Scotch Game: Classical Variation | 4...Bc5 | 8 | |
| Scotch Game: Malaniuk Variation | 4...Bb4+ | 8 | check |
| Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation | 4...Nf6 | 8 | |
| Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation | 4...Qh4 | 8 | |
| Scotch Game: Alekhine Gambit | 4...Nf6 5.e5 | 9 | |
| Scotch Game: Braune Variation | 4...Qh4 5.Be3 | 9 | |
| Scotch Game: Fraser Variation | 4...Qh4 5.Nf3 | 9 | |
| Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack | 4...Qh4 5.Nb5 | 9 | |
| Scotch Game: Paulsen Variation | 4...Qh4 5.Nf5 | 9 | |
| Scotch Game: Potter Variation | 4...Bc5 5.Nb3 | 9 | |
| Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation | 4...Qh4 5.Nc3 | 9 | |
| Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Intermezzo Variation | 4...Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 | 10 | White +3 |
| Scotch Game: Modern Defense | 4...Qh4 5.Nc3 Bb4 | 10 | |
| Scotch Game: Romanishin Variation | 4...Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb4+ | 10 | check |
| Scotch Game | 4...Qh4 5.Nb5 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 | 11 | |
| Scotch Game: Blumenfeld Attack | 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.Nb5 | 11 | |
| Scotch Game: Ghulam-Kassim Variation | 4...Nxd4 5.Qxd4 d6 6.Bd3 | 11 | |
| Scotch Game: Mieses Variation | 4...Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 | 11 | |
| Scotch Game: Tartakower Variation | 4...Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Nd2 | 11 | |
| Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Millennium Variation | 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Qg6 | 12 | |
| Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Blackburne Attack | 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Qd2 | 13 | |
| Scotch Game: Meitner Variation | 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Nc2 | 13 | |
| Scotch Game: Paulsen Attack | 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Bb5 | 13 | |
| Scotch Game: Paulsen, Gunsberg Defense | 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Bb5 Nd8 | 14 | |
| Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack, Blackburne Variation | 4...Qh4 5.Nb5 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Kd8 8.O-O Bxd2 9.Qxd2 | 17 | Black +1, White castled |
| Scotch Game: Rosenthal Variation | 4...Qh4 5.Nb5 Bb4+ 6.Bd2 Qxe4+ 7.Be2 Kd8 8.O-O Bxd2 9.Nxd2 Qg6 | 18 | Black +1, White castled |
| Scotch Game: Gottschall Variation | 4...Bc5 5.Be3 Qf6 6.c3 Nge7 7.Qd2 d5 8.Nb5 Bxe3 9.Qxe3 O-O 10.Nxc7 Rb8 11.Nxd5 Nxd5 12.exd5 Nb4 | 24 | White +2, Black castled |
The road to C45
- 1.e4 … 2...Nc6four earlier stops: B00, C20, C40, C44
- 3.d4C44 Scotch Game
- 3...exd4C44 Scotch Game
- 4.Nxd4C45
The position after 4.Nxd4
White has brought out the knight on d4; Black the knight on c6. White has a half-open d-file; Black a half-open e-file. Black could capture with Nxd4. Black is to move and has 32 legal moves.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| B44 | Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation | two squares: e6, c7 |
| C22 | Center Game: Normal Variation | three squares: d1, g1, d4 |
| B33 | Sicilian Defense: Open | four squares: f6, c7, e7, g8 |
| B45 | Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation | four squares: b1, c3, e6, c7 |
| C21 | Center Game Accepted | four squares: g1, d4, c6, b8 |
| B32 | Sicilian Defense: Open | five squares: f3, d4, c5, c7, e7 |
| B47 | Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation, Bastrikov Variation | five squares: b1, c3, e6, c7, d8 |