- ECO code
- C45
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4
- Family
- Scotch Game
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 810
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1862–2026
Scotch Game is the opening filed under ECO code C45, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4. It belongs to the Scotch Game family; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 810 games on this line — the 133rd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1862 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 265 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 29% of those games, 39% end in a draw, and Black wins 32%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 4 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...Nf6, played in 374 games, followed by 4...Bc5 (305) and 4...Qf6 (70). 4...Nf6 leads into Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation. After 4...Nf6 White scores 31% and Black 24%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nepomniachtchi,I (87 games); on the Black side, Grischuk,A (42).
2 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation; Scotch Game: Classical Variation.
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Results in master games
- White 29% (233)
- Draws 39% (319)
- Black 32% (258)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Nf6 | 374 | 31/45/24 | Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation |
| 4...Bc5 | 305 | 29/39/32 | Scotch Game: Classical Variation |
| 4...Qf6 | 70 | 23/17/60 | — |
| 4...Bb4+ | 27 | 19/37/44 | — |
| 4...Qh4 | 23 | 17/22/61 | — |
| 4...Nxd4 | 5 | 20/40/40 | — |
| 4...g6 | 3 | 67/0/33 | — |
| 4...d6 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Schmidt Variation · 4...Nf6 · 374 games
- Classical Variation · 4...Bc5 · 305 games
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 e5 · 24,632 games
- King's Knight Opening · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 · 21,895 games
- King's Knight Opening: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 · 19,295 games
- Scotch Game · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 · 970 games
- Scotch Game · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 · 965 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nepomniachtchi,I 87
- Ivanchuk,V 27
- Carlsen,M 23
As Black
- Grischuk,A 42
- Shirov,A 34
- Aronian,L 31
Games per decade
- 1860s 4
- 1870s 13
- 1880s 17
- 1890s 20
- 1900s 17
- 1910s 18
- 1920s 10
- 1930s 4
- 1940s 4
- 1950s 2
- 1960s 2
- 1970s 12
- 1980s 10
- 1990s 72
- 2000s 119
- 2010s 221
- 2020s 265
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pranesh,M | Keymer,Vincent | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Chess.com Open Playoffs |
| Nakamura,Hi | Lazavik,Denis | 1-0 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Krzyzanowski,M | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 6th Jan 2026 |
| Robson,R | So,W | 0-1 | 2026 | American Cup Champ |
| Kravtsiv,M | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 10th Feb 2026 |
| So,W | Sargsyan,Shant | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn4 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Scotch Game?
It is the opening with ECO code C45, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4. It belongs to the Scotch Game family.
Is the Scotch Game good for White or for Black?
In 810 master games on this line White wins 29%, 39% are drawn and Black wins 32%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Scotch Game?
4...Nf6 — played in 374 of the master games on this line, which leads into Scotch Game: Schmidt Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Scotch Game?
On the White side Nepomniachtchi,I (87), Ivanchuk,V (27), Carlsen,M (23); on the Black side Grischuk,A (42), Shirov,A (34), Aronian,L (31).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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