A pawn-tripling variation in the 2...Nf6 of the Scandinavian defense.

In this pet black 2...Nf6 opening of mine, 3. Nc3 Nxd5 is nothing too unusual, but after the perhaps slightly less common followup of 4. d4 in a game I just played, I suddenly got the urge to try to be clever. Thus, 4...c5.



The idea is to leave white with tripled isolated pawns.

But I'll again be a pawn down. Can this make any sense?

Anyhow, this tripling did occur, and immediately afterwards I moved Bf5, which, apparently, according to the in-browser Stockfish, is a very bad move, and should have ruined my compensation, but my opponent followed with his own counterblunder and I ended up stumbling into victory.

It's probably just an unsoundness upon an unsoundness upon an unsoundness, but I'm still curious for what people think about 4...c5 versus the various alternatives like 4...Nxc3.

[I posted a correction to the above, which claimed a worse pawn count disadvantage, before noticing that there's now an edit function, and fixing it.]

4..c5 can't be terrible, but it seems slightly inaccurate. of course white doesn't have to take.
just 5 Nf3 seems good, when carrying out the cxd4 "threat" would give white a quite large lead in development.

4..Nxc3 bxc3 c5 might be a superior way to implement the "greed lure" (taking would give you Qxd1), but again, he still doesn't have to take.
i feel early c5 plans in this line are probably a bit too slow and you're fighting for equality again, should probably just play for quick castling instead and take it from there.

you seemed to be worried about being a pawn down - as far as that is concerned, you definitely have compensation once you inflict him triple isolanis. the main issue is just that white doesn't have to go into that.

I agree with #3. 4...Nxc3 5 bxc3 c5 6 Nf3 is good for black.
The problem after 3...c5 4 dxc5 is not that you are a pawn down, but that you cannot castle. Just 7...e5 would have been equal. It is strange that with 7...Bf5 and 8...e6 you allowed him to double your pawns as well, invalidating your pawn majority on the King's wing with your kandidate passed e-pawn.
I am not sure, but I think that if in the position after 7 bxc3 we were to remove all pieces and just keep the Kings and the Pawns, then the pawn's endgame would be won for black despite being a pawn down. You have like an extra e-pawn and the white c-pawns are weak and easily blocked.

The Irish center!

Don't forget about the open lines and outposts when inflicting double-pawns. It can backfire, the dynamic factors can compensate for the static deficiencies.

@Sarg0n It's a highly effective pawn structure lol