Chessy
Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit as Black
This line is sharp, forcing, and dangerous for the player of Black. After 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6 3.dxc6 e5, White must react to a position that the engine judges very heavily against you, so the drill below matters. Your job is not to memorise a long maze of theory, but to understand what White is trying to do and which replies the database actually shows most often. The key theme is simple: if White keeps the extra material and stays accurate, you can be in real trouble very quickly.
Play the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit against the engine
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Create a free account →A position that already favours White
Stockfish rates this +1.72, a near-winning advantage for White. That means you are in serious danger already, and the position is close to decided. This is not a comfortable equalisation line for Black; you need to know the tabiya and be ready for White’s most natural replies. The drill is useful because it trains you to survive a difficult opening position instead of drifting into a losing middlegame.
What White normally does here
The most played continuation is cxb7, and it appears by far the most often in the database. Other common tries are Nc3, Bb5, Nf3, d3, and Bc4. That tells you what you should expect over the board: White usually looks to keep the extra material and develop quickly, rather than spending time on slow manoeuvring. If you are Black, you need to be alert from the first move after the opening sequence.
The engine's main answer
The engine’s best move here is cxb7, continuing cxb7 Bxb7 Nf3 Nc6. That gives you a concrete attacking setup to study in the drill, and it is the reference point for this position. Even though the evaluation is clearly bad for Black, this is still the best practical path shown in the data, so it is the move you should know first.
Common slips to punish or avoid
The database marks Nc3 as an inaccuracy, Bb5 as an inaccuracy, and Nf3 as an inaccuracy. In each case, the practical message is the same: White should prefer cxb7. If you face these moves, do not relax just because White has chosen a less accurate continuation; the position is still excellent for White, and you still need to play accurately to avoid making things worse.
Results across 574,313 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| cxb7 | 372,613 | 43.7% |
| Nc3 | 59,032 | 48.5% |
| Bb5 | 30,148 | 50.0% |
| Nf3 | 30,043 | 48.4% |
| d3 | 24,124 | 46.8% |
| Bc4 | 17,211 | 50.6% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit sound for Black?
In this position, the evaluation is strongly against Black. Stockfish rates it +1.72, which is a near-winning advantage for White, so you should not treat it as a comfortable equal opening.
What is the best move for White in this position?
The engine’s best move is cxb7. The listed continuation is cxb7 Bxb7 Nf3 Nc6, which is the main line to know in the drill.
What do most players choose here?
The most-played continuation is cxb7, with Nc3, Bb5, Nf3, d3, and Bc4 also appearing often. That makes this a very practical position to learn because the main choices are clear.
Which White moves are marked as mistakes?
Nc3, Bb5, and Nf3 are all listed as inaccuracies. The database notes that all three are worse than cxb7, so White should usually choose the engine move instead.
How many games feature the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit?
Over 574K Lichess games have reached the Scandinavian Defense: Kloosterboer Gambit position. White wins 45.2%, Black wins 52.0%, with 2.7% draws — based on real rated games.