Chessy
Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit as Black
After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6, you have chosen a sharp Scandinavian line that asks White an immediate question. The position is already one where Black must be precise: the engine gives White a clear, lasting edge, so your job is to know the best reply and steer the game into practical play. The drill below lets you test whether you can find the move that keeps you in the game and recognise the common responses you are most likely to face.
Play the Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit against the engine
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Create a free account →The key moment after 2.exd5 c6
This opening lives and dies by the decision White makes next. In the exact position after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6, Stockfish rates it +1.05, a clear advantage for White. That means you are already playing from an unpleasant position and need accurate technique, not hope. The good news is that the position is concrete, and the drill helps you learn the move that the engine prefers and the replies you are most likely to meet.
What the engine wants you to know
The engine’s best move here is dxc6, continuing dxc6 Nxc6 Nf3 e5. That tells you the main strategic lesson: if White accepts the challenge, Black should be ready to recapture and continue development without losing time. Since the evaluation is already in White’s favour, your practical aim is to keep pieces active, avoid drifting, and make sure you know the most resilient path instead of guessing over the board.
What the database says White actually plays
This exact position has been played 3,944,897 times on Lichess, so the choices here are well tested. The most common continuation is dxc6 with 2,747,967 games, followed by Nc3 with 692,579 games, Nf3 with 195,039 games, d4 with 170,791 games, c4 with 53,770 games, and d6 with 31,716 games. That means you should expect White to choose one of these practical continuations, not something rare or flashy.
The mistakes to punish in practice
The database flags three White moves as mistakes or inaccuracies in this exact position. Nc3 is a mistake and loses about 1.1 pawns, with dxc6 listed as better; Nf3 is an inaccuracy and loses about 0.5 pawns, again with dxc6 better; d4 is also an inaccuracy and loses about 0.7 pawns, with dxc6 better. If White does not take on c6, you are often facing a less precise choice, so the drill is useful for learning how to respond without giving away even more.
Results across 3,944,897 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| dxc6 | 2,747,967 | 48.3% |
| Nc3 | 692,579 | 48.4% |
| Nf3 | 195,039 | 50.4% |
| d4 | 170,791 | 52.3% |
| c4 | 53,770 | 50.3% |
| d6 | 31,716 | 49.1% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit sound for Black?
In this exact position, the engine says White is clearly better. Stockfish gives +1.05, so you should not treat this as a carefree equaliser. If you play it, you need to know the best continuation and the most common White replies.
What is the best move for White in this position?
The engine’s best move is dxc6. The line given is dxc6 Nxc6 Nf3 e5, which is the main continuation to learn in the drill. That is the move you most need to recognise and handle.
Which replies are most common after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6?
The most-played continuations are dxc6, Nc3, Nf3, d4, c4, and d6. Among these, dxc6 is by far the most common, with 2,747,967 games. The others appear often enough that you should be ready for them too.
Which White moves are mistakes here?
Nc3 is marked as a mistake, while Nf3 and d4 are marked as inaccuracies. In every case, dxc6 is listed as the better move. That makes the capture on c6 the main move to understand before anything else.
How many games feature the Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit?
Over 4 million Lichess games have reached the Scandinavian Defense: Blackburne-Kloosterboer Gambit position. White wins 48.6%, Black wins 48.0%, with 3.4% draws — based on real rated games.