Chess games played with the Scandinavian chess opening are very interesting as this set-up is unusual and leads to unfamiliar middle game structures.
This opening was already played 1858 by Adolf Anderssen in his match against the American chess genius Paul Morphy.
This opening starts with the moves:
1.e4 d5
The game usually continues 2. exd Qxd
The Scandinavian is not considered a good opening as the queen participates too early in the game and is chased away by white’s knight losing valuable time for black. Matthias Wahls researched this opening 1997 further and modernized it. This made this opening more popular than it was before.
I don’t believe in a setup where the black queen goes to d6 or back to d8 when attacked by the knight. I am convinced that the Wahls setup, where the queen is placed at a5, is the best setup for Black. If you move the queen back to d6 you block the development of the bishop on f8. This does not make sense to me.
The first moves according to M.Wahls are:
1.e4 d5 2.exd Qxd 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4 e6 7.Bd2 c6
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| White standard set-up for long castling. | A typical situation where white gets aktiv right away and chases the black bishop to increase his influence. |
This position of Black can be considered as the basic Wahls setup. Look where the black pieces are placed in both diagramms. The position of Black’s queens-bishop is adjustable. Just the same applies for Black’s kingside-bishop, which is positioned according to the requirements of the position. As Black you got to know the Scandinavian well to survive. You have to study typical middle game positions and techniques.
If I would play the Scandinavian I would specialize on the Wahls setup (Qa5 and Bf5). I have played it for many years. This opening is pretty tough to beat, but you have to know it well. I suggest that you use it just as a surprise weapon.
But I will not recommend the Scandinavian to you, as I don’t want, that you waste a lot of time learning and playing an inferior opening system, like I did. White is scoring very well in the Scandinavian and this opening is not played in top level chess. Play the Sicilian or play 1…e5 instead.
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