So I usually open as black with the French, sometimes the Sicilian, and I know the Scandinavian is generally a losing opening when white plays 2. exd5, but I went ahead and tried it against this guy. According to my PGN archives, I haven't played him before, so I can't tell you how I would have expected him to react to 1. ...d5.

Wiki says that white has to play 2. exd5 in order to get ahead in development. If this is correct, is 2. e5 a blunder?

[Event "rated standard match"]
[Site "Free Internet Chess Server"]
[Date "2009.07.17"]
[Round "?"]
[White "mrdoom"]
[Black "troycm"]
[Result "0-1"]
[WhiteElo "1674"]
[BlackElo "1415"]
[ECO "B01"]
[TimeControl "900"]

1. e4 d5 2. e5 Nc6 3. d4 f6 4. f4 e6 5. Bb5 Ne7 6. Nf3 Bd7 7. c3 fxe5 8. Bxc6
Bxc6 9. fxe5 h6 10. O-O Nf5 11. g4 Nh4 12. Nxh4 Qxh4 13. Qf3 O-O-O 14. Be3
Be7 15. Bf2 Qg5 16. Be3 Qh4 17. Bf2 Qg5 18. h3 Rhf8 19. Qg3 Rf7 20. h4 Qg6
21. Nd2 Rdf8 22. Be3 Qd3 23. Rxf7 Rxf7 24. Nb3 Bxh4 25. Nc5 Qe2 26. Qxh4
Qxe3+ 27. Kh1 Qf3+ 28. Kg1 Rf4 29. Nxe6 Rxg4+ 30. Qxg4 Qxg4+ 31. Kf2 Qxe6 32.
Rf1 Bb5 33. Ke1 Bxf1 34. Kxf1 Qf5+ 35. Ke2 Qc2+ 36. Ke3 Qxb2 37. e6 Qxa2 38.
Kf4 Qa3 39. Ke5 Qd6+ 40. Kf5 g5 41. Kf6 b6 42. Kf7 Kd8 43. c4 dxc4 44. d5
Qe7+ 45. Kg6 c6 46. Kxh6 cxd5 47. Kg6 Qxe6+ {mrdoom resigns} 0-1

2. e5 is pretty bad. You get your Bc8 outside the chain and get to do it without wasting any moves (...c6 ...c5 in advance caro, for instance). Also, if you play c5 immediately, he can't even get in the standard supporting structure with d4 and c3 in response to c5.

I think 2. Nc6 is just really really bad, and white's a bit better. You can still get your bishop out, but white's big center is secure with no c5 coming.

3. ... f6 is way premature (Bf5 looks right).

4. ... e6 locks your bishop in for no real reason, although don't know what else to suggest.

5. Bb5 blows. That guy has one square to go to, and it's d3 (when it doesn't get hit by Nb4, obv.)

7. ... Nxe5 wins a pawn with a much better position

I'd be surprised if 9. ... h6 is right. it weakens light squares (thankfully his B is gone because he saw the Nxe5 trick) and it doesn't solve your development issue. Nf5, Ng6, Qd7 all look better at first glance.

11. g4 just gets everything way too weak and you pretty much squish him for it

18... Rdf8 seems more logical. The R on d8 is dead, the R on h8 could support h5 ideas, and if you want to play Be8, you don't break connection.

The scandinavian isn't a losing opening by any means. It's very mediocre at the top level, but it's certainly not 'refuted'. In the same way in this game, 2. e5 is certainly a very mediocre move but it can't be directly refuted. The reason 2. e5 is bad is because it gives black a very easy game if he actively works against the move with basic opening principles, but again this is not going to be so easy to do at this level.

The main problem with 2. e5 is that it alleviates all central tension, wastes time and makes black's queenside bishop a great piece - whereas the light bishop can often be a problem piece for black. So in response to 2. e5, there's only two candidate moves that actively work against its flaws: c5 and Bf5. It's just basic opening principles: move a couple of central pawns once each, develop your pieces to their logical squares, etc..

2. .. Nc6 is not a good move since it's unclear that the knight belongs on c6 and it also blocks your only pawn that can also fight for more central control. Similarly f6 also breaks all the primary opening principles. So, I guess the answer is that 2. e5 is a bad move, but it's certainly not a blunder. And without precise play it's a perfectly fine move for white.

Too tired to post a lengthy reply but I'll say that:

2.. c5 should be preferred against 2. e5 --- Imagine if the game had started 1. e4 c5 2. e5 d5 with White having no option of en passant... Sicilian players would be ecstatic.

Also, plz to be getting your light square Bishop outside the pawn chain before you lock it up with e6.

there's a MN player named John Bartholomew - he's practically invented novelties in the Scandanavian - it's definately not a losing line but you gotta know quite a lot of variations - if you want to study it I'd start by looking at his games

rb

I've been using the Scandinavian as my sole counter to 1. e4 for a while. I play 2 ... Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 vs 2. exd5, so I'm no expert on 2 ... Nf6, but the Qa5 line is more solid theoretically.

It's an okay opening but I wouldn't recommend it. You tend to reach solid, defensive positions with Black, where White has a slight advantage. The problem with it is that it's very hard for White to screw up. He just plays natural developing moves and reaches a good, open position. Given that my idea in playing it in the first place was to dictate to my opponent the opening we play in, it sort of defies the point if he's going to know how to play it well anyway. So far I've been too lazy to learn anything else.

2. e5 is one of the few bad moves White can make in the Scandinavian. You see it a surprising amount. Just play c5, develop your light squared bishop and then at some point play e6. You'll end up in a sort of superior French Advance where the usual problematic light-squared bishop is an asset instead of a liability.

The other thing I see surprisingly often is 2. Nc3, which is as hideous as it looks. Play 2. d4 and chase the knight around. I have played the following on multiple occasions: 1. e4 d5 2. Nc3 d4 3. Nd5 e6 4. Nf4 e5 5. Nd5 c6, whereupon the knight is lost. You wouldn't think it would happen but it does. It increases my feeling that I should learn an opening where it's easier for my opponents to mess their games up, since they seem to be so keen to do it.

As somebody who played the scandinavian exclusively for a very long time (although I preferred to more active 3. .. Nf6) I completely agree with everything you said. My solution which I've been very happy with: http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/14...dition-458026/

I used to play the Scandinavian, too, but I switched after reading that thread!