- ECO code
- C45
- Moves
- 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5
- Family
- Scotch Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 305
- Average game length
- 41 moves
- Years covered
- 1862–2026
Scotch Game: Classical Variation is the opening filed under ECO code C45, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5. It belongs to the Scotch Game family and is known as the Classical Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 305 games on this line — the 306th 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 2010s, with 78 games. An average game here lasts 41 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 5.Nxc6, played in 114 games, followed by 5.Be3 (109) and 5.Nb3 (77). After 5.Nxc6 White scores 30% and Black 22%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Nepomniachtchi,I (35 games); on the Black side, Grischuk,A (21).
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Results in master games
- White 29% (88)
- Draws 39% (120)
- Black 32% (97)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.Nxc6 | 114 | 30/48/22 | — |
| 5.Be3 | 109 | 27/36/37 | — |
| 5.Nb3 | 77 | 30/34/36 | — |
| 5.Nf5 | 5 | 40/0/60 | — |
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
- Scotch Game · 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 · 810 games
Played most often by
As White
- Nepomniachtchi,I 35
- Ivanchuk,V 13
- Rublevsky,S 12
As Black
- Grischuk,A 21
- Mamedyarov,S 14
- Nakamura,Hi 12
Games per decade
- 1860s 2
- 1870s 6
- 1880s 6
- 1890s 4
- 1900s 3
- 1910s 10
- 1920s 2
- 1930s 3
- 1940s 4
- 1950s 2
- 1960s 2
- 1970s 9
- 1980s 6
- 1990s 44
- 2000s 74
- 2010s 78
- 2020s 50
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kosakowski,Jakub | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 12th Feb 2026 |
| Zhauynbay Aldiyar | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | Makhnev,Denis | 1-0 | 2025 | FIDE World Cup 2025 |
| Gavrilescu,David | Topalov,V | 1-0 | 2025 | Superbet POL Rapid 2025 |
| Aronian,L | Abdusattorov,Nodirbek | 1-0 | 2025 | Saint Louis Rapid 2025 |
| Kravtsiv,M | Erigaisi,Arjun | 0-1 | 2025 | 1st 3-0 Thu 27th Nov 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Scotch Game: Classical Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code C45, reached after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5. It belongs to the Scotch Game family.
Is the Scotch Game: Classical Variation good for White or for Black?
In 305 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: Classical Variation?
5.Nxc6 — played in 114 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Scotch Game: Classical Variation?
On the White side Nepomniachtchi,I (35), Ivanchuk,V (13), Rublevsky,S (12); on the Black side Grischuk,A (21), Mamedyarov,S (14), Nakamura,Hi (12).
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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