Continue with Google
Continue with Facebook
I'll take just a minute from you 😇
Please create a free account and continue enjoying the course.
Cheers! Charlie
Attack with Scotch Game
Course
152 episodes
(10 hours 29 min)
(10 hours 29 min)
Creators
GM Avetik Grigoryan
GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan
Why play the Scotch Game after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6?
Openings like the Ruy Lopez(3.Bb5) and the Italian(3.Bc4) have lots of theory and many subtleties in them.
Other openings, like the Four Knights (3.Nc3), don’t offer enough chances to fight for an advantage.
The Scotch has relatively less theory than the Ruy Lopez or the Italian, and at the same time, it offers White good chances to fight for an opening advantage.
Another bonus point is that White’s aggressive approach from the get-go can net them many points in the opening itself, as you'll see in this repertoire...
See moreTo help you understand how fundamentally sound the Scotch is, consider that it was one of Garry Kasparov’s pet lines that he successfully used in a World Championship Match against Anatoly Karpov.
Today, elite GMs like Ian Nepomniatchichi continue to use it even at the highest level.
Below you can see some diagram positions taken from this course:
This course will help anyone learn this opening — from the beginner who’s starting from scratch to an opening specialist who wants to discover the novelties.
Let's begin the journey!
What you'll learn
- A full opening repertoire for White after 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4, covering all important variations, sidelines and ideas.
- A solid, aggressive and easy-to-learn opening that offers White excellent chances to fight for a win.
- How to get an advantage against Black’s sidelines.
- Attacking plans for White against different setups in this opening.
- The typical mistakes players below 1500 make in the Scotch and how to punish them.
- Typical mistakes players over 1500 make in this opening and how to punish them.
- How to apply the ideas in practice, explained through model games, and a lot more!
Course Content
-
152
Episodes -
1
Attachments -
10 hours 29 min
5
Students give this course an average of 5 out of 5 stars.
RYAN SHEE
great course
Ishaan Ballal
Great course with indepth analysis. Thank you very much for it!
Just one question - In 4. Nf6 and 8. a5 variation, the pawns infront of the king are too much advanced which kind of making me a bit uncomfortable to play. Is there any alternate way to play it? What are your views on it?
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thank you!
Please, all questions to PRO Members channel in the forum.
Ishaan Ballal
I did try to post but I guess it got overlooked. Can you please check the post I posted a couple of weeks back?
P.S- I am an essential member so dont have access to PRO member channel, so I posted on main channel
Simon Nnamegaj
Great Course! I enjoyed my free month here at Chessmood a lot! With your opening recommendations, I really can set aside any troubles whether an opening might not be the right one for me. Spectacular work in all the courses! +1 Follower on socials and Twitch ;)
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks, Simon!
Sandip Datta
good course but Qf6 variation is not fully covered
Harry Bryant
Amazing course! great deep explanation especially in the dxc6 endgame variation.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks, Harry!
Harry Bryant
There is one slight downside which is that there is no advanced section in the pgn which makes me have to copy it over. Is there a way to solve that?
Schavarsch Ghazaryan
Good
Kamal Karmakar
very good
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks! :)
eliya birke
Amazing course! I wanted to switch from spanish to scotch a long time, and this course made it possible in the best way! Already have good results altough I started to play it only 2 weeks ago.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great!!! It should be much more fun than Ruy Lopez :)
Jose Moreno
Hi ChessMood friends!
I found you don't cover the line:
1.e4e5 2.Nf3Nc6 3.d4 3xd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 5.Nb3 Bb6 6.Nc3 Qf6!
I have to fight against this line many times, and I found a very nice idea you can explore in a future video: 7.h4!
I hope you like this idea and you can explore it deeply!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Dear Jose,
We've covered it in the addition section 3 - The Attacking Plans.
But overall, h4 is an interesting idea, as Eric Rosen played recently.
Jose Moreno
So sorry, I missed this video😅
I’m going to explore your idea! :)
Thank you for everything😊
Rice Demigod
excellent course! ive always wanted to play the scotch but haven't found resources in-depth enough. when i saw the free promo, i was ecstatic as i would be able to learn all the creative and unique scotch lines. this course did NOT disappoint!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great! :)
Atam Jeet Singh
Hlo sir. How to response after Qe3 followed by Bc5 by black in the Kramnik variation. It is very tricky. How white should play against this?
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
All such questions to forum, please :)
Aadarsha Gautam
My current chess com rapid rating is 1840-1850 and I playing this opening (Scotch Game) as white and Caro-kann as black till I reach 2300 and only then will explore other openings.I want to stick in one opening so thanks for the sweet explanation sir.
Aravinda Bhat
Good course
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Thanks!
popop
getting such a valuable monthly membership for free as a broke college student has honestly one of the biggest blessings I've had in my life. another great course from a great teacher. thank you sir. looking forward to playing these lines in my games!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Great! Good luck :)
Javier Martínez
Very strong this opening
Shubhi Kumar
Only one word- Excellent
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Only one word - Thanks!
Llorenç Boldú Zabih
Excellent. I gave a first try against an untitled lady from Indonesia and she crushed me with a score of 97%. Hope my next try will be against somebody who scores below 90% and we can have a bit of fun.
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
Hehe :)
Llorenç Boldú Zabih
https://www.chess.com/member/fattihma
:D
GM_Avetik Grigoryan
So, she was a cheater? :)
Llorenç Boldú Zabih
Seems so. I would never said with her performance :)
Next day she opened another account with the same pic and fathima2. She offered friendship but I declined. I guess it's a matter of hours they close this one.
Geeta Ve
good but it would be a little better if they went over Qh4 and Qf6 a little more but over all it was very good and i enjoyed it
ChessMood
Haha :)
Geeta Ve
i accually face Qh4 in a otb game
Arihan Barolia
overpowered
ChessMood
Super!
Nigel Fleming
Just worked through this course again 3 years after first going through it, as looking at my stats on lichess I don’t play it well. Since I first watched the course, a lot more material has been added making it much easier to understand. The lines are complex and aggressive, and I don’t think I initially understood them, and it didn’t match my (previously very boring) style. Now, having worked through other material such as tactic ninja, attack like a Viking, and mating patterns, and playing the generally very aggressive chessmood repertoire, I am much more an attacking player. I am starting to have a lot more fun with the Scotch!
ChessMood
Super!!!
We should have a Scotch together, when you visit us :)
Magued Rostom
very nice course I liked that they covered the most common mistakes people play
ChessMood
Thanks!
Doge Jam
.
MOHIT SONI
It's Amazing
ChessMood
Thanks!
Yash Ambica
.
Vedant Garg
One of the best courses on openings! They have it all covered from below 1500 to above 2500 level which makes it accessible for everyone. This course made me a scotch hero 🦸which helps me destroy my opponents. Definitely if anyone wants a good weapon against e4 e5. I will recommend this course with my heart
ChessMood
Scotch hero! :)
Nice! :)
Tony O'Donovan
These courses just get better and better
ChessMood
Thanks, Tony!
Damien Sondermeijer
Very nice course. I watched many courses about the scotch game on the internet, but I'm really happy of finding this one. This repertoire is just absolute gold, and GM Grigoryan is explaining the ideas of each move very clearly, so it's easier to learn the variations at home.
ChessMood
Thanks a lot for this beautiful review!
Re Vid
Nice course, btw, I have a question on 13.game.
It is mentioned that after g4 d5 is not possible for black as it is "free pawn", however, it is not true. d5 is possible and gives very good game for black :) So I do not think that g4 is possible in that position.
Harshit Pawar
Very nice course on the Scotch :)
ChessMood
Thanks!
Reyan Md
It is excellent!
ChessMood
Thanks :)
Olaf Gałson
.
essam alhayek
good
Paulius the Witcher
The most detailed and best explained course on the Scotch I've ever seen. Now I can play against 1..e5 with confidence! Also nice updates with model games and dubious moves for black section, very practical and aggressive weapon!
ChessMood
Super!
Thanks, Paulius!
Theo van Stratum
If anybody is interested I have a collection of over 5000 games on the Scotch in a pgn file
Sharan Sridhar
Jason chen
Елена Вербова
Artyom Manukyan
Sidharth Sreekumar
The best Scotch Course ever.
ChessMood
Thanks!
WIM_Siranush Ghukasyan
ChessMood
Did you watch it till the end? :)
Pratham Lohakare
Kourosh A
Ratheesh PK
Awesome. ChessMood will conquer the entire chess coaching world in the near future and all the ZEROs will be HEROs :-)
ChessMood
Hehehe :)
One step at a time!
Or at least, we'll challenge everyone to raise their standards and really care for chess players, and not their pockets.
Edo Tokyo
This is the best course ever on the Scotch opening, from beginners to very advanced players. All levels are covered in detail in almost 10 hours of the most comprehensive explanations at the moment of writing the review. After playing the Scotch for several years, now after completing the course I feel that I know everything... And if there is something missing you can always ask in the forum... Do you need anything else?
ChessMood
Thank you very-very much!
Giorgos Kechagias
sero gharakhanyan
Gor Avetisyan
GM Avetik Grigoryan
After having a successful playing career where he became the Armenian Champion in 2010, GM Avetik Grigoryan found his passion for chess coaching and switched to it full-time.
Since then, he has guided many ambitious players to become Grandmasters and International Masters and has over 10 years of coaching experience.
He believes anyone can improve at chess, with the right mood and proper direction. And with that vision, he founded ChessMood in 2018.
After having a successful playing career where he became the Armenian Champion in 2010, GM Avetik Grigoryan found his passion for chess coaching and switched to it full-time.
Since then, he has guided many ambitious players to become Grandmasters and International Masters and has over 10 years of coaching experience.
He believes anyone can improve at chess, with the right mood and proper direction. And with that vision, he founded ChessMood in 2018.
GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan
Samvel Ter-Sahakyan became a Grandmaster at just 15 years old. Later, he became the U-18 European Champions in 2009 and a World champion in the same age group category in 2011.
Apart from that, he was also the Armenian champion in 2020 and has represented his country at the Chess Olympiad.
Samvel Ter-Sahakyan became a Grandmaster at just 15 years old. Later, he became the U-18 European Champions in 2009 and a World champion in the same age group category in 2011.
Apart from that, he was also the Armenian champion in 2020 and has represented his country at the Chess Olympiad.
The Scotch Game is an aggressive line that starts with 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4. One of the world’s greatest chess players, Garry Kasparov, popularized it.
Unlike the Ruy Lopez or the Italian, there’s not a lot of theory to memorize in the Scotch. At the same time, it offers a sharp yet solid opening that offers White excellent practical chances. Here's a short overview.
| Moves | 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 |
| ECO Code | C44-C45 |
| Named after | Scotland, in honor of the Scottish players. |
| First game played in | 1818 |
| Notable players | Garry Kasparov, Jan Timman |
| Also known as | Scotch Opening, The Scotch |
History of Scotch Game
Can you guess who played one of the first games in this opening? it was none other than the French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte! He played the Scotch vs General Bertrand in Saint Helena, 1818. Napoleon, playing with the White, went to win the game.
Interestingly, the game started with 1.Nf3 and transposed into the standard Scotch position after:
-
Nf3 Nc6
-
e4 e5
-
d4
However, the opening is named in honor of Scottish players, who used it during a correspondence match in 1824 between Edinburgh(Capital of Scotland) and London.
How to play the Scotch Opening?
With 3.d4, White aims to put direct pressure on the Black’s center. In doing so, they also open up lines for their pieces.
Play usually continues 3…exd4 4.Nxd4 and now Black has 2 main options: the Mieses variation with 4... Nf6 and the classical Scotch with 4...Bc5.
4…Bc5 Classical Variation
Statistically, this opening variation is the most popular line in the Scotch Game Black plays. White has different options to continue from here. We recommend playing 5.Nb3 here. White will then develop their pieces and look to castle long.
4…Nf6 Mieses Variation
The Mieses variation is perhaps the most important line in this opening that you should know.
Play continues with 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5. From here, White has many ways to continue, each having its own theory. In the course, we offer a trendy line that’s relatively unexplored.
Is Scotch Game Good for Beginners?
The Scotch Game is an aggressive and easy-to-learn opening played by some of the best players in the world, like Garry Kasparov. Apart from being fundamentally sound, you also learn how to handle active positions here.
So it’s a good opening choice, not only for a beginner but also for advanced-level players as it will widen your understanding as a chess player.
Access all courses
or
Course
152
Episodes
1
Attachments
10 hours 29 min
152
1
10 hours 29 min
Creators
GM Avetik Grigoryan
GM Samvel Ter-Sahakyan
Share this
Did you know?
You can unlock access to ALL of our 500+ hours of Grandmaster-crafted courses!
Did you know?
You can unlock access to ALL of our 500+ hours of Grandmaster-crafted courses!
Did you know?
You can unlock access to ALL of our 500+ hours of Grandmaster-crafted courses!
Sorry for interrupting.
Success stories
Meet our students, from youngsters and adult improvers to professionals, who have raised their rating up to 500 points in 1 year!
GM_Avetik Grigoryan