Scholars mate

I would never play the scholars mate since it is a trick play, however because of my low rating people use it against me. Also because of my low rating it often works even though I googled how to defend against it. Any help describing best defenses against it are appreciated thank you. I have used stock fish to look for the best move but any advice on top of what stock fish has to say would be great.

I'm playing as black

https://en.lichess.org/wx5dvsWpnVg5

The line I play against it goes

1. e4 e5 2. Qh5 Nc6 3. Bc4 g6 4. Qf3 Nf6 here I intend to gain tempo by playing Nd4 attacking the queen and c2. Also then I play d6 preparing Bg4. If opponent stops both of these. Just Na5 Bg7 castles in some order or another. Often times I will not play Na5 but it really doesn't matter. White wasted some time moving the queen around and black should be a little better.

2. e4 e5 2. Qf3 Nf6 3. Bc4 Nc6

My advice to improve your play:

Look at the move your opponent just did, and don't drop pieces for nothing.

2... Nf6 is kinda bad dropping that e-pawn, you can gain a little time off this, but this is a bad gambit.

6... Bc6 is a very sad move. You just drop the bishop, and any chances you had. If instead you play Nxe4 you are unleashing the battery on the queen, getting your pawn back, opening the file his un castled king is on, and gaining time in the process.

After this blunder you were in a lost position for the rest of the game, I could suggest some places where you could put up more of a tenacious fight, but that is just delaying the inevitable.

Ok thank you. So in this situation use your knight to defend the pawn that is out then keep bringing out your pieces when the time is right. Any variations of the Scholars mate that I should learn how to defend against? Sometimes they bring out the bishop first and stock fish says just to block with a pawn c6.

Also, when I was thinking I completely missed dropping the bishop but as soon as he took it I realized what happened. I was out of a plan very quickly.

2..Nf6 is not really much worse than Nc6, black has enough compensation and shouldn't be worse.

it seems that you already know the basics of how to defend but there's still a whole game ahead, it's not like black has a huge advantage after defending so don't think about "punishing" the opponent or whatever. just keep playing and learning from your mistakes!

at move 6 black could have played nxe4 attacking the queen twice and then probably capture the knight on c3, you would be better there. Try to get aware that when a queen is summoned early to the game it gets vulnerable, you can use it to gain tempi while developing your pieces. I'd recommend you youtube it, that can help =)

Definitely +1 vote on pushing the queen out.

The easy defense against the Qh5, is Nc6.

When the queen attacks early, defend, and push.

After Nc6, assuming your opponent leaves the queen, as is. start with the g6 pawn push, but don't push those pawns too far early in the game, so use your other pieces as well... that's your king-side safety barrier. Keep bringing pieces out to attack the queen, and all white did was waste many moves moving the queen around.

After 3-4 more moves, you then have a major positional advantage because you have possibly both knights out, hopefully a bishop and you definitely have some decent pawn advancement, while white has an aimlessly wandering queen!

Also... focus on not giving pieces away! You left your bishop out there to dry. Think-think-think about your move before making it. If you feel rushed, then don't play short games. Start with 15/10 or longer time controls.

You also left your knight hanging helplessly on d4. Your pawn push to c5 was one move too late.

Study opening sequences. Learn and study variations on the four knights, move to something like the sicilian. Do some studying on pawn structure. Pawns make or break your game, in many cases.

I don't think Nf6 is HORRIBLE. But I do think it is sorta dubious. Why drop the pawn anyway. Why not just keep the pawn and continue gaining time with Nc6. I don't see the need to drop the pawn. Its not forced and is no better than keeping it in the first place.