[Event "CLK repertoire: Scandinavian"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/idb5PHgb/ERfVbXtq"] [Date "2024.01.30"] [White "Scandi for White"] [Black "Complete"] [Result "*"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/schack2"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "B01"] [Opening "Scandinavian Defense: Classical Variation"] [StudyName "CLK Openings Project: Scandi"] [ChapterName "CLK repertoire: Scandinavian"] [ChapterURL "https://lichess.org/study/BW0XlNxL/Xf9QakCS"] [UTCDate "2024.01.30"] [UTCTime "17:12:26"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 (2... Nf6 3. d4 (3. Bb5+!? { scores best among reasonable moves in Lichess db! } 3... Nbd7 (3... Bd7 4. Be2! Nxd5 5. d4 Nc6 (5... Bf5 { [%csl Gc2] } 6. Nf3 Nb4 7. Na3 e6 8. O-O $14) 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. O-O e6 8. c4 Nb6 9. Nc3 Bxf3 10. Bxf3 Nxc4 11. d5! $32) (3... c6 4. dxc6 bxc6 5. Be2 { and develop normally }) 4. d4 a6 (4... Nxd5 5. Nf3 c6 6. Be2 { is similar }) 5. Be2 Nxd5 6. c4 N5f6 7. Nf3) 3... Bg4 { is tricky, so we'll avoid it! } (3... Nxd5)) 3. Nc3 Qa5 (3... Qd8 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4 (5... e6 { locks in the light-squared bishop and leaves White better }) (5... Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd7 7. O-O) 6. h3! Bxf3 7. Qxf3 c6 8. Be3 { is nice for White. }) (3... Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 { (stopping Nc3-b5 tricks, and preparing ...b7-b5) } (5... Bg4 { is also met with } 6. h3! Bh5 (6... Bxf3 7. Qxf3! c6 8. Be3 { with a good position for White }) 7. g4 Bg6) (5... c6 { The main move on the master level. } 6. Ne5 Nbd7 7. Nc4 Qc7 8. Qf3 { [%cal Gc1f4] }) (5... g6 { allows } 6. Nb5 Qb6 (6... Qd8 7. Bf4 { [%csl Gc7] } 7... Nd5 8. Be5 f6 9. Bg3) 7. Na3 c6 (7... Be6 8. Nc4 Bxc4 9. Bxc4 Bg7 10. O-O O-O) 8. Nc4 Qc7 9. Nce5 Bg7 10. Bc4 O-O 11. O-O) 6. g3 { but this takes us away from the kinds of lines we are playing } { [%cal Gc1f4] } (6. Bd3!? Bg4 (6... b5 7. a4) (6... g6 7. Be3 Bg7 { [%cal Gf6g4] } 8. O-O Bg4 (8... Nc6 { [%cal Gc6b4,Gf6g4] } 9. Re1!? O-O 10. Ne4 Nxe4) 9. h3) 7. h3 Bh5 8. O-O Nc6 9. Ne4) (6. Bc4 b5 7. Bd3 Bb7 8. O-O)) (3... Qe6+ 4. Be2 Qg6 5. Nf3 Qxg2 6. Rg1 Qh3 7. d4) 4. d4 (4. b4 Qxb4 5. Nb5 { [%cal Gb5c7] } 5... Qa5 (5... Qc5?! 6. d4 $36 Qc6 7. d5 Qc5 8. Be3 Qb4+ 9. c3 Qa5) (5... Na6!? 6. Nf3 c6) 6. Bc4 c6?? (6... a6? 7. Bxf7+ Kd8 (7... Kxf7 8. Qh5+) 8. Nc3 e6 9. Bh5) (6... e6! 7. Bb2) (6... Nc6!) 7. Bxf7+ Kxf7 (7... Kd8 8. Nc3 $16 { [%cal Gf7b3] }) (7... Kd7 8. Nc3) 8. Qh5+ { [%cal Gh5a5] } 8... g6 (8... Kf6 9. Bb2+ $40 e5 10. Qxe5+ Kf7 11. Nd6+) 9. Nd6+) 4... Nf6 (4... Nc6 5. Bb5 { [%cal Gd4d5] } 5... Bd7 (5... a6 6. Bxc6+ bxc6 7. Nf3 Bg4 8. Qd3! { breaking the pin while protecting the f3-knight; also looking towards Qd3-c4 to attack the weak c6-pawn }) 6. Bd2! O-O-O (6... Nf6?? 7. Nd5 $18) 7. a4! { supports the bishop and prepares the discovery } 7... a6?? 8. Nd5) (4... e5 5. Nf3 exd4 (5... Bb4 6. Bd2) 6. Qxd4 { development advantage }) 5. Nf3 Bf5 { This is the most natural square for the bishop. White should develop normally with } (5... Bg4 { This move is played half the time in this position according to the database, but the bishop doesn't really belong here. We should immediately put it to the question with } 6. h3! Bh5 (6... Qh5?? 7. hxg4 Qxh1 8. Ne2! { [%cal Ge2g3] }) (6... Bxf3 7. Qxf3 c6 8. Bd2 { and White castles queenside with a good game. The bishops will be powerful in this semi-open position. }) 7. g4 Bg6 8. Ne5 { [%cal Ge5g6,Ge5c4] } 8... c6 (8... Nbd7 9. Nc4 Qa6 10. Bf4 { [%csl Gc7] } 10... Qe6+ 11. Ne3!) (8... e6 9. h4!) 9. h4! { [%csl Gg6] } 9... Be4 10. Rh3! Bd5 11. Bd2) (5... c6 6. Bc4 Bf5 { transposes to 5...Bf5 } (6... Bg4 7. h3 Qh5 8. hxg4 (8. Be2) 8... Qxh1+ 9. Bf1 Nxg4? 10. Ne4 Nh2 11. Ng3 Nxf3+ 12. Qxf3 Qh4) (6... e6 7. O-O (7. Bd2 { is ok, but the queen can just slide back with ...Qc7 - this is kind of a lost tempo now as it doesn't force ...c7-c6 }) 7... Be7 8. Qe2 O-O)) (5... Nc6?! 6. Bd2 Qh5 (6... Bg4 7. Nb5 Qb6 8. c4 $14) (6... e6? 7. Nb5) 7. Nb5) 6. Bc4 e6 7. Bd2 c6 { (giving the queen an escape route!) } (7... Bb4 { (Bartholomew's preferred move order) } 8. Qe2 (8. a3 Bxc3 9. Bxc3 Qb6 10. Qe2) 8... O-O (8... Bxc2? 9. d5) 9. a3 Nc6 (9... Bxc3 10. Bxc3 { is similar to lines below }) 10. O-O Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qb6 { with a double-edged game. }) 8. Qe2! (8. Nd5?! Qd8 9. Nxf6+ Qxf6 { takes some of the tension out of the position. }) 8... Bb4 { A key position. White has more space, but Black's pieces are actively placed, and the pawns on c6 and e6 restrain White's advances. White has options to castle kingside or queenside, and can try to win the bishop pair with a2-a3. For their part, Black will complete development and then look for pawn breaks. } (8... Bxc2? 9. d5!) (8... Qc7 9. Ne5 Nbd7 (9... Bd6 { shows the idea behind Nf3-e5. White plays } 10. g4! Bxe5 11. gxf5 { and the queen, staying on the e-file, prevents ...e6xf5 }) 10. O-O-O (10. g4? { is a mistake here due to } 10... Nxe5 11. gxf5 Nxc4 12. Qxc4 exf5 $17) 10... Nxe5?! 11. dxe5 Nd5 12. g4) (8... Nbd7?! { is too slow, allowing } 9. d5! cxd5 10. Nxd5 { and White's pieces swarm to the attack. For example: } 10... Qc5 11. b4! Qc8 (11... Qc6 12. Nd4 Qc8 13. Nxf5) 12. Nxf6+ Nxf6 13. Bb5+ Nd7 14. Ne5) (8... Be7?! { is similarly bad, allowing } 9. d5 cxd5 10. Nxd5 { with an attack } 10... Qd8 11. Nxe7 Qxe7 12. O-O-O) 9. a3 { Trying to win the bishop pair, but this does trade pieces when Black's position is cramped. It's a trade-off, but I think it's one worth considering. } (9. O-O-O { [%cal Gf3e5,Gg2g4,Gh2h4] } 9... Nbd7 10. a3 { transposes }) (9. O-O) 9... Nbd7 { (54%) as the bishop is safe due to the pin on the a3-pawn. White continues } (9... Bxc3 { (23%) } 10. Bxc3 Qc7 11. Nh4!? (11. Ne5 { with the ideas of g2-g4, h2-h4, and kingside expansion }) (11. O-O-O Nbd7 12. Ne5 (12. Bb3)) (11. O-O Nbd7) 11... Bg6) (9... O-O { and now White can choose to castle queenside and attack, or play more quietly with kingside castling. } 10. O-O-O) 10. O-O { gives a quieter game, but White still has an advantage. } (10. O-O-O Bxc3 (10... Bxa3 11. Nd5! (11. bxa3 Qxa3+ 12. Kb1 b5 { is ok for White according to the engine, but hard to play. Now only } 13. Bd3! b4 14. Bc1 Qa5 15. Na2 { holds for White. }) 11... Bxb2+ 12. Kxb2 Qd8 13. Nxf6+ Nxf6 14. Ne5 { and if } 14... Qxd4+ 15. Bc3 { Material is equal but White's development will give great chances for attack. }) (10... Nb6?! { lets White get a big advantage if they can get through the storm: } 11. axb4 Qa1+ 12. Nb1 Na4 13. Bc3 Ne4 14. Rd3 $16) 11. Bxc3 Qc7 12. Ne5 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Nd5 14. Bd4! { [%cal Gd4c5,Gg2g4,Gh2h4] }) 10... Bxc3 11. Bxc3 Qc7 12. Nh4!? { and now Black has to decide where to put the bishop } 12... Bg4 (12... Be4 13. Rfe1 Bd5 (13... O-O 14. Rad1 { and White may be a bit better. }) 14. Bd3) (12... Bg6 { (a very typical move for Scandi players) } 13. Rfe1 { (no need to take the bishop, as it allows Black to open the h-file and threaten mate on h2) } 13... O-O-O (13... O-O 14. Nxg6 hxg6 15. Qf3!? { improves the queen and opens the e-file. The bishops look good long-term against the knights. }) 14. b4 { and White will try to open lines against the black king. }) 13. f3 (13. Qe3 O-O 14. h3 Bh5) 13... Bh5 14. g4 Bg6 15. Be1 { looks a bit riskier but White's king is safe and a space advantage is useful } { [%cal Ge1g3] } *