Chessy
The Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation with 4.c4
After 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5, White can try 4.c4 — a direct attack on your queen that looks aggressive. But the statistics tell a different story: across nearly 45,000 games, Black scores a crushing 64.1% from here. White's queen-hunt backfires because your queen can capture on d4 without fear. The engine rates this -1.86, a near-winning edge in your favour. That means you are clearly better already. The drill below puts you in Black's seat — see if you can convert this advantage against the engine.
Play the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation: c4 against the engine
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Create a free account →What Is the Nimzowitsch Defense?
The Nimzowitsch Defense (1.e4 Nc6) invites White to occupy the centre, only for Black to challenge it immediately. After 2.d4 d5, you're already fighting for the middle of the board — an unconventional but sound idea. The Scandinavian Variation (3.exd5 Qxd5) leads to an early queen sortie that looks risky but is backed by concrete tactics. When White plays 4.c4, they hope to chase your queen and gain time with developing moves like Nc3. What they don't expect is that you can simply take on d4: 4...Qxd4. Your queen is safe (the c4-pawn can't recapture, and after White recaptures with their queen, you trade and enter an endgame with a structural edge).
Your Best Reply: 4...Qxd4 — and What Follows
The engine's top choice is immediate recapture: 4...Qxd4. This is by far the most popular move in the database (32,725 games), and White scores only 28.4% from there — a miserable outcome for them. After 5.Qxd4 Nxd4, the queens are off, but your knight lands beautifully in the centre. The engine's best continuation runs 6.Bd3 Bd7. White's bishop to d3 looks natural, but it leaves them with a slight development deficit and no clear way to exploit your knight. Your plan is simple: finish developing (put your other knight on f6, castle kingside, connect your rooks) and enjoy a superior pawn structure. Black's central knight is a monster — White will likely spend time trying to kick it away with c4-c5 and Be3.
Why This Position Favours Black
The engine evaluation of -1.86 means White is close to lost. What makes this position so good for you? First, the pawn structure: White's c4-pawn is a target and a potential weakness on a half-open file, while your central pawn majority gives you long-term endgame chances. Second, you have the bishop pair in many lines — White's knight on d4 is annoying but eventually you can challenge it. Third, the statistics back this up: Black wins 64.1% of games from here, with only 4.9% draws. That's nearly a two-to-one win rate for Black. White's queen-to-b3 or queen-to-e2 tries don't change the assessment much — the engine prefers White to play Qe2 or Qa4 over most natural developing moves, which tells you that White is already on the defensive.
Punishing White's Most Common Mistakes
White has several tempting moves that are actually inaccuracies. The most common error is Bd3 (played 2,182 times) — it loses about 0.8 pawns of advantage for White; the engine says Qa4 was better. You meet Bd3 by continuing development (Bd7 or Nf6) and you keep your comfortable edge. Similarly, Nc3 (1,776 games) loses roughly 0.6 pawns — White should have played Qe2 instead. After Nc3, you simply move your queen (Qd8 or Qa4) and White's knight on c3 blocks their own c-pawn. Nf3 (979 games) also loses about 0.7 pawns; here too Qe2 was better. The pattern is clear: White's natural developing moves backfire because they lose time and don't address the real issue — your dominant knight on d4 and your central superiority.
Results across 44,788 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Qxd4 | 32,725 | 28.4% |
| Bd3 | 2,182 | 38.3% |
| Bd2 | 1,831 | 43.4% |
| Nc3 | 1,776 | 36.4% |
| Nd2 | 1,095 | 45.0% |
| Nf3 | 979 | 30.5% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Nimzowitsch Defense a good opening for beginners?
Yes — the Nimzowitsch Defense is excellent for beginners who want to learn hypermodern ideas. The Scandinavian Variation specifically leads to clear, concrete positions where you fight for the centre early. The 4.c4 line is especially beginner-friendly because Black's winning plan is straightforward: take the pawn, trade queens, and enjoy a superior position.
What should I do if White doesn't play 4.c4?
That's a different variation. The key line covered here is 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.c4. If White plays something else — like 4.Nf3 or 4.Nc3 — the character of the game changes. However, the 4.c4 line is White's most aggressive try, and knowing how to handle it will win you many games.
Why does Black score so well from this position?
Black wins 64.1% of games in the database. The main reason is that White's 4.c4 overextends: after 4...Qxd4, White has no good way to exploit your queen. The natural recapture 5.Qxd4 Nxd4 leaves Black with a central knight, a healthy pawn structure, and the bishop pair. White often struggles to find a plan while Black's position plays itself.
Is 4...Qxd4 the only good move?
It's the engine's best move by a wide margin and the most played by far (32,725 games). Other moves like 4...Qa5 or 4...Qe4 are possible but objectively worse — the engine gives Black a smaller advantage. The beauty of 4...Qxd4 is that it forces simplifications into a very comfortable endgame for Black.
How many games feature the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation: c4?
Over 44K Lichess games have reached the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation: c4 position. White wins 31.0%, Black wins 64.1%, with 4.9% draws — based on real rated games.