Chessy
Scandinavian Defense: Marshall Variation as Black
The Scandinavian Defense: Marshall Variation gives Black a very direct start: you trade early in the centre, then put a knight on d5 and ask White to prove an edge. The position is not equal, though — the engine says White is better, so your job is practical defence and accurate replies. This page is built around the drill position after 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5, where it is White to move and you play Black.
Play the Scandinavian Defense: Marshall Variation against the engine
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Play the drill now and test whether you can handle this position as Black. Create a free account to track your progress and sharpen your opening responses.
Create a free account →What the position says straight away
Stockfish rates this +0.72, a clear advantage for White. That means you are playing from a worse position and need to know your setup well.
The practical lesson is simple: do not drift. White has the initiative, and your pieces need active squares quickly. In the drill, focus on staying compact, meeting White’s central play with accuracy, and keeping your position healthy rather than chasing complications that do not solve the problem.
The engine’s main answer
The engine’s best move here is c4, and its recommended continuation is c4 Nf6 Nf3 c5.
That tells you what White is trying to do: gain space and keep you under pressure. As Black, your training goal is not to memorise a long branch, but to recognise the kind of game White wants and respond sensibly when the centre is expanded and your d5-knight is the obvious target.
What the database shows
This exact position has been reached in 1,370,672 games in the Lichess database, so this is a very well-trodden tabiya.
The results are also not in Black’s favour: White wins 51.3%, draws 3.9%, and Black wins 44.8%. That is another warning sign that you need to treat the position seriously. The opening can still be playable in practice, but the numbers say White usually handles it a little better.
The replies you will face most often
The most-played continuations give you a clear picture of White’s habits:
- Nf3 — 611,286 games, White scores 51.4%
- c4 — 430,020 games, White scores 53.4%
- Bc4 — 138,191 games, White scores 48.2%
- Nc3 — 86,051 games, White scores 48.0%
- c3 — 34,161 games, White scores 50.8%
- h3 — 15,098 games, White scores 50.8%
The big practical point is that Nf3 and c4 are the main tests. If you are studying this line, make sure you are comfortable meeting those moves first, since they appear far more often than the others.
Small inaccuracies worth punishing
The database flags two common move choices as inaccuracies here:
- Nc3 is an inaccuracy and loses about 0.6 pawns; the better move was Nf3
- c3 is an inaccuracy and loses about 0.5 pawns; the better move was Nf3
That is useful for your drill, because it shows where White can go slightly off track. When White chooses one of these less exact setups, your task is to stay alert and keep the position under control rather than allowing White to recover the edge for free.
Results across 1,370,672 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 611,286 | 51.4% |
| c4 | 430,020 | 53.4% |
| Bc4 | 138,191 | 48.2% |
| Nc3 | 86,051 | 48.0% |
| c3 | 34,161 | 50.8% |
| h3 | 15,098 | 50.8% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Scandinavian Defense: Marshall Variation good for Black?
This page’s main position is not objectively comfortable for Black. Stockfish gives +0.72, which means White has a clear advantage, so you need to play accurately and accept that you are defending a slightly worse position.
What is the main move White should play here?
The engine’s best move is **c4**, and it recommends **c4 Nf6 Nf3 c5** as the continuation. In practice, White also most often chooses **Nf3** and **c4**, so those are the key replies to know.
What scores best for White in this position?
Among the listed continuations, **c4** has the strongest White score at **53.4%**. **Nf3** is also very common, with White scoring **51.4%**.
Which White moves are marked as mistakes?
Two common moves are called inaccuracies here: **Nc3** and **c3**. Both are said to lose about a fraction of a pawn, and the better move in each case was **Nf3**.
How many games feature the Scandinavian Defense: Marshall Variation?
Over 1 million Lichess games have reached the Scandinavian Defense: Marshall Variation position. White wins 51.3%, Black wins 44.8%, with 3.9% draws — based on real rated games.