Chessy
The Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation with Nf3
After 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 Qxd5 4.Nf3 Bg4, you've reached a lively position in the Nimzowitsch Defense where Black fights for the centre with an active queen and a pin against White's knight. You have already deviated from the more common Scandinavian lines, and the statistics show this is a sharp battleground: across nearly 870,000 games, Black wins 44.7% of the time — respectable for a position where White holds a small edge. The engine rates things at +0.51 in White's favour, meaning you are slightly worse but far from lost. Your task is to navigate a handful of critical responses and make the most of your active pieces.
Play the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation, Exchange Variation: Nf3 against the engine
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Create a free account →What Black Is Fighting For
The key idea behind your setup is simple: you've traded a pawn for rapid development and a pin. The bishop on g4 ties the knight on f3 to the queen on d5, making it awkward for White to develop freely. Unlike the standard Scandinavian (1.e4 d5), where Black's queen often gets chased around, here the queen has the support of the c6-knight and can retreat to f5 or h5 when attacked. Your goal is to complete development quickly — fianchetto the kingside bishop, castle short, and pressure White's centre. The pin is temporary, but while it lasts, you can create threats that force White to play precisely.
The Engine's Best Answer: 5.Nc3
If you're wondering what a perfect computer would do, Stockfish recommends 5.Nc3, hitting your queen immediately. The engine's full follow-up runs 5.Nc3 Qf5 6.d5 Bxf3, forcing you to surrender the bishop pair to free the knight. After 6...Bxf3, White recaptures with the queen and has a comfortable space advantage. This line shows the downside of your setup: White can break the pin by pushing d5, and you have to decide whether to trade bishop for knight right away. The resulting position is manageable for Black — you have the two knights against a bishop, and your queen is well-placed — but you are indeed fighting for equality.
What the Statistics Tell Us
The most popular move White plays is 5.Be2 (302,167 games), where White scores a hefty 56.8%. That's the move you'll face most often. The engine's first choice 5.Nc3 appears in 221,358 games with a 52.0% score for White — still good for them, but less punishing than Be2. The good news: three of White's most common replies are actually inaccuracies. If White plays 5.Be3, they lose about 0.7 pawns in evaluation compared to the best move — punish them by developing naturally with ...e6 or ...0-0-0. If they try 5.c3 (losing ~0.8 pawns), they are weakening the d3-square and failing to challenge your queen. And 5.c4 (losing ~0.5 pawns) gives you a free tempo to move your queen to h5 or a5 with gain of time.
How to Punish White's Mistakes
When White plays 5.c3, you should be happy. That little pawn move doesn't threaten your queen and leaves the knight on c3 undeveloped. Your best plan is to retreat the queen to a safe square like ...Qd8 or ...Qd6, then follow up with ...e5, striking at the centre. Against 5.Be3, you can consider ...0-0-0 immediately, putting your king on the queenside while your bishop stays on g4 pinning the knight. The inaccuracy of 5.c4 invites ...Qe4+ or ...Qd6, depending on taste. The common thread: White has not challenged your queen or pin, so you get to complete development with tempo. If White plays 5.Be2 (the most common), the solid reply is ...0-0-0, threatening ...e5 and keeping the pin alive. Your queen can later drop back to d7 or d6, and you have a perfectly playable position.
Results across 867,777 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Be2 | 302,167 | 56.8% |
| Nc3 | 221,358 | 52.0% |
| Be3 | 109,244 | 47.1% |
| c3 | 108,388 | 44.9% |
| c4 | 101,823 | 48.6% |
| Nbd2 | 10,189 | 44.1% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Nimzowitsch Defense: Scandinavian Variation a good opening for beginners?
Yes, this line is excellent for learning key concepts like pins, central tension, and queen activity. The position after 5.Nf3 Bg4 teaches you how to handle an exposed queen and use a pin for development. The downside is a slightly worse position out of the opening (+0.51 for White), but the practical winning chances are solid at club level.
What should I do if White plays 5.Nc3, the engine's best move?
Play 5...Qf5. White will likely continue with 6.d5, forcing you to decide on 6...Bxf3. Trading bishop for knight is fine — you get two knights against a bishop and White's centre pawns are fixed. Your queen stays active on f5, and you can follow up with ...e6 or ...0-0-0 depending on taste.
Why is 5.Be3 considered a mistake for White?
Because 5.Be3 loses about 0.7 pawns in evaluation compared to the best move (5.Nc3). It doesn't challenge your queen or break the pin. You can punish it by castling queenside immediately or playing ...e5, taking over the centre. Black's winning chances rise noticeably after this move.
How can I remember which White moves are mistakes in this position?
The three inaccuracies are 5.Be3, 5.c3, and 5.c4. They all fail to attack your queen or break the Bg4 pin. The key is: if White doesn't play 5.Nc3 or 5.Be2, they've likely given you an edge. Remember: 'No knight on c3, no Be2 — time to punish!'