The Scotch Game is 1. 2. 3.: you hit e5 with your d-pawn and your f3 knight while only the c6 knight guards it. Most opponents trade with , and you recapture with 4., planting a knight in the center. Between 900 and 1700 you score 55.1% (N = 872,247 Lichess games, September 2026).
Lichess games from September 2026 (30,577,162 rated 900 to 1700) and 31,791 over-the-board games rated 2300+ from the last 12 months. Data updated: October 14, 2026.
48 named lines in this family; 1 with their own page.
The opening's share in each Lichess rating band.
After 3., 72 in 100 opponents at your level take with and 9 hold the pawn with ; among strong players the capture comes in 97 games out of 100. You recapture with 4. in 60 of 100 games, same as they do, though 13 in 100 players at your level try 4., a move strong players hardly ever touch. The real split comes a move later. Half your opponents swap knights with , and after 5. no black piece attacks your queen; against that trade you score 56 in 100. Strong players prefer (52 in 100), which goes after e4, and against it you score 50 in 100.
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 71.9% | 54.6% | 97.2% | 97.5% | |
| 9.3% | 55.7% | 1.2% | 2.5% | |
| 4.6% | 57.4% | 0.7% | no data | |
| 2.8% | 61.5% | no data | no data | |
| 2.6% | 55.4% | 0.1% | no data | |
| 2.2% | 56.7% | 0.3% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.3% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59.8% | 54.0% | 60.2% | 87.5% | |
| 20.1% | 56.3% | 30.3% | 12.5% | |
| 13.4% | 54.7% | 0.4% | no data | |
| 5.4% | 57.2% | 8.5% | no data | |
| 0.5% | 48.6% | 0.3% | no data | |
| 0.3% | 46.4% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.3% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50.8% | 56.4% | no data | no data | |
| 17.6% | 51.9% | 31.0% | 28.6% | |
| 10.4% | 50.0% | 52.1% | 53.7% | |
| 5.5% | 52.0% | 5.1% | 11.0% | |
| 3.8% | 51.7% | 2.4% | no data | |
| 3.4% | 53.2% | no data | no data | |
| no data | no data | 3.2% | 6.6% | |
| no data | no data | 2.8% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 59.4% | 50.6% | 76.7% | 91.5% | |
| 28.2% | 51.3% | 22.2% | 8.5% | |
| 3.7% | 47.3% | no data | no data | |
| 3.2% | 43.2% | no data | no data | |
| 1.7% | 44.1% | 0.1% | no data | |
| 1.0% | 45.9% | 0.1% | no data | |
| no data | no data | 0.9% | no data |
| Move | Lichess 900–1700 | White's score | Online, 2200+ | Over the board, 2300+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 86.0% | 50.3% | 96.6% | 100.0% | |
| 14.0% | 51.7% | 3.4% | no data |
The strong line runs 4. 5. 6. 7.. The goal is a pawn on e5, wedged into your opponent's half of the board, with their c-pawns doubled behind it.
3. goes straight at e5: your d-pawn and your f3 knight both attack it, and only the c6 knight defends. That is why your opponent usually gives up the center with . Your knight takes back on d4, where the queen covers it, and the open diagonal now gives your c1 bishop room to come out.
flips the problem: now your e4 pawn is the one hanging, with nothing defending it. 5. comes before the pawn push because that c6 knight watches e5. After the knight is gone, and your opponent is left with two pawns on the c-file and an isolated pawn on a7.
6. saves the e4 pawn by pushing it and hits the f6 knight on the way. is how strong players answer, and there is a catch: the queen attacks e5 down the e-file, and with your king still on e1 the pawn is pinned. Taking the knight would leave your king in check, so the capture is not even legal. 7. guards the pawn and steps between the black queen and your king. It costs you something: your f1 bishop has no squares while the queen stands there, and strong players still choose 7. in 99 games out of 100.
At your level few games follow this road all the way. After , 59 in 100 play 5. and 28 defend e4 with 5.. After 6., only 31 in 100 opponents find , against 87 in 100 among strong players. When it shows up, you know why you cannot take on f6 and which move fixes it.
| Move | Strong games | Chosen by |
|---|---|---|
| 15,291 | 97.2% | |
| 15,776 | 60.7% | |
| 9,509 | 52.1% | |
| 4,932 | 77.0% | |
| 3,793 | 96.7% | |
| 3,647 | 49.5% | |
| 1,786 | 86.6% | |
| 1,540 | 99.4% |
A mistake, though at your level it rarely gets punished. 4. eyes f7, which only the king defends, but the knight goes in alone. After the bishop hits it, 5. goes back, and the d4 pawn still belongs to your opponent. 13 in 100 play it; you score 55 in 100 with it and 54 with 4..
13 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 1.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 54.7%; scores 54.0%.
A blunder that usually works out at your level. After , 5. gives up the knight: following 6. 7. 8. you have f7 and d5 for it, and the enemy king sits on g6 with no castling. 99 in 100 choose it; you score 69 in 100, and just over 1 in 3 with 5..
99 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 3.5 pawns of advantage. It scores 69.1%; scores 36.5%.
A blunder, but rarely punished at your level. After , 5. forks the queen on d8 and the rook on h8, but the king just takes the knight. After 6. 7. all you get for the knight is the d5 pawn. 38 in 100 play it; you score 53 in 100, the same as with 5..
38 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 5.7 pawns of advantage. It scores 52.9%; scores 53.1%.
A mistake. attacks your knight, and 5. throws it away instead of retreating with 5.. After 6. 7. your opponent can no longer castle, but you only have f7 and d5 for the piece. At your level it still pays: 59 in 100 play it, and you score 54 in 100, against 44 with 5..
59 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 2.8 pawns of advantage. It scores 53.6%; scores 44.0%.
A blunder, and a trap. With a black knight on f6, 5. has no follow-up. After 6. that knight also grabs your e4 pawn, so you have given a piece and two pawns for f7. 16 in 100 play it; you score 49 in 100, and 54 with 5., which adds the bishop to the attack on f7.
16 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 6.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 49.3%; scores 54.0%.
A blunder. After , 5. is check, but no other piece of yours hits f7, and after you have traded your bishop for a pawn. After 6. your opponent has pawns on d5 and d4. 4 in 100 play it; you score 47 in 100 with it, and 61 with 5., which attacks the d4 pawn.
4 in 100 play it in this position. It gives away 5.1 pawns of advantage. It scores 46.8%; scores 61.0%.
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 279,968 | ||
| Not castled | 192,945 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 119,561 |
| 79,495 | ||
| 72,258 | ||
| Not castled | 47,613 |
| White | Black | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 152 | ||
| 41 | ||
| Not castled | 25 | |
| Not castled | Not castled | 19 |
| Not castled | 17 | |
| 14 |
1. 2. 3. · 198,804 amateur games · 1 over the board
takes your d4 pawn with the knight; you score 57 in 100 against it.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 119,370 amateur games · 39 over the board
4. leaves the d4 pawn for later and aims the bishop at f7; you score 55 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 63,154 amateur games · 26 over the board
hits your d4 knight, which only the queen defends; you score 52 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 43,836 amateur games · 3 over the board
4. attacks the d4 pawn, and if you take back with 5.; you score 57 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 32,593 amateur games · 4 over the board
After 4. , the black bishop props up the d4 pawn; you score 58 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 31,633 amateur games · 49 over the board
goes after your e4 pawn, which has no defender; you score 50 in 100 against it.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 12,891 amateur games · 3 over the board
Your bishop comes out to c4 first, via 3. 4. ; you score 54 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · 5,645 amateur games · 60 over the board
After the trade on c6, 6. hits the f6 knight; you score 51 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. · 5,182 amateur games · 15 over the board
gives check and makes you block it or move your king; you score 53 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · 3,432 amateur games · 28 over the board
Against , 5. drops the knight back and attacks the bishop; you score 54 in 100.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · C45
3,007 amateur games · White's score: 55.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. · C44
2,750 amateur games · White's score: 48.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. · C45
2,719 amateur games · White's score: 44.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C45
1,613 amateur games · White's score: 40.4%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C45
1,264 amateur games · White's score: 43.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · C44
1,219 amateur games · White's score: 50.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · C45
896 amateur games · White's score: 52.1%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · C45
654 amateur games · White's score: 58.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C44
213 amateur games · White's score: 55.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C45
190 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C45
104 amateur games · White's score: 48.6%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. · C45
78 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C45
65 amateur games · White's score: 68.5%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C45
62 amateur games · White's score: 50.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · C45
51 amateur games · White's score: 62.7%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · C44
43 amateur games · White's score: 45.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. · C45
29 amateur games · White's score: 37.9%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · C44
21 amateur games · White's score: 23.8%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. · C44
17 amateur games · White's score: 100.0%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · C44
6 amateur games · White's score: 33.3%
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. · C45
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · C45
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. · C45
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. · C45
Play 3. after 1. 2. and, once your opponent trades with , recapture with 4.. If they hit e4 with , swap on c6 with 5. and push 6.. Leave 4. alone: 13 in 100 players at your level try it, and strong players hardly ever do.
You attack e5 at once with 3., so your opponent usually gives up the center with and your knight lands on d4. Against , the plan is to remove the c6 knight that watches e5 and then gain space with 6., leaving your opponent with doubled c-pawns. Across 900 to 1700 you score 55 in 100.