Play the Scandinavian Defense: Boehnke Gambit with Nf3 — Black's Repertoire Guide

This isn't a quiet positional opening. After 4.Nf3 Be7, you've surrendered a pawn (the one on d5) but you have active pieces and no glaring weaknesses. Your light-squared bishop on e6 is already doing useful work, your king is still flexible — you can castle short or stay in the centre — and your pawn structure is clean. White, by contrast, has a extra pawn on d4 once they push it there, but their development lags slightly. The engine assessment (+1.13) reflects that White's material advantage is real and lasting. But from a practical standpoint, you have easy developing moves and the chance to create imbalances. If White doesn't play precisely — and most opponents won't — you can generate real counterplay. The statistics back this up: Black wins over 43% of games from here, far higher than you'd expect for a position evaluated as clearly worse. This opening suits you if you want an unbalanced game where you can outplay your opponent in the middlegame.

The engine's top choice is 5.d4, and it's no surprise: White stakes a claim in the centre, supports the extra pawn, and opens lines for their pieces. After 5.d4 c5, White's best continuation is 6.Bb5+ Nc6. Let's look at the position after these moves: You've challenged the centre with ...c5, and now White checks on b5 to disrupt your development. Your correct reply is 6...Nc6, blocking the check and developing at the same time. From there, the game becomes about whether White can consolidate the extra pawn or whether your activity wins it back. This line scores very well for White (53.7% across 1,556 games), but the position remains sharp and your winning chances are real. The key is to remember that ...c5 is your standard counter in this line — don't shy away from it.

Across 6,542 Lichess games, here is what you face most often. The numbers are White's winning percentage — lower is better for you. 5.Nc3 (1,779 games, White 49.5%) — This natural developing move doesn't help White hold the extra pawn. Continue developing and Black's score here is excellent. 5.d4 (1,556 games, White 53.7%) — The engine's first choice, discussed above. 5.Be2 (1,286 games, White 53.1%) — A quiet move preparing to castle. You can respond with ...c5 or continue normal development. 5.Bb5+ (654 games, White 56.3%) — This is White's sharpest try and the toughest for Black: White scores 56.3% here, so be careful and prepare to block the check with a piece. 5.Bd3 (381 games, White 46.5%) — White scores below 50% here. That's because Bd3 blocks the d-pawn and doesn't help White's development much. If you see this, you're in good shape — play naturally. 5.d3 (242 games, White 46.7%) — This is actually a known mistake. See the next section.

Among the six most-played White moves, 5.d3 and 5.Bd3 are the only ones where White scores below 50%. The engine confirms that 5.d3 is an inaccuracy, losing about 0.6 pawns of advantage. White's better move would have been 5.Bb5+. So if your opponent plays 5.d3, they're making your job easier. What do you do? Simply continue developing — castle and push ...c5 when the centre allows. White has voluntarily blocked their own queen's bishop and failed to claim the centre. You can play normally and trust that your position will be comfortable. This is a perfect example of why knowing the most common mistakes matters: you can recognise when your opponent's move is suboptimal and adjust your expectations accordingly.