Dynamic Alternative to the Italian and Ruy Lopez
After 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6, most White players head for the Italian or the Ruy Lopez. Both are covered by enormous amounts of analysis, and both are exactly where a well-prepared opponent expects to meet you.
GM Sina Movahed takes another road. After 3.d4 exd4 he plays 4.Bc4, leaving the d4-pawn alone for now and putting development first. The result is the Scotch Gambit, which he describes as a dynamic and fresh alternative to the heavily analyzed waters of the Italian and the Ruy Lopez.
What Makes This Repertoire Different
Delaying the recapture changes the character of the opening. Black has to choose between several concrete answers, and each one leads to a position with its own logic.
Against the main move 4...Nf6, White continues 5.e5 and gains space right away.
After 5...d5 6.Bb5 Ne4 7.Nxd4, White has regained the pawn and has a centre built around the e5-pawn. Against the trendy 5...Ne4, the course offers two answers: 6.Bd5 as the main recommendation and 6.Qe2 as an alternative.
Some lines turn sharp very quickly. After 4...Bc5 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.Nxf7 Nxf7 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxc5, White wins back the material and Black’s king has lost its shelter. Movahed identifies 9...d5 as the critical test of the system.
The Author’s Reasoning
Movahed’s choices come from the setups strong players actually use against the Scotch Gambit. In the 4…Nf6 line, against 6...Nd7, he studies the configuration favoured by GM Vincent Keymer, where Black’s knight returns to b8. White answers with 11.Qf3, preparing the pieces for an attack.
Against 4...Bb4+, he gives a choice of style. 6.bxc3 is the main recommendation, while 6.O-O is the more dynamic option. The course closes with the old main line 7...Bd7, still the most popular by number of games, and the final chapter is devoted to 9...Be7.
Map of Variations
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4
- 4...Be7 and other rare 4th moves → Chapter 1
- 4...Bb4+ 5.c3 dxc3
- 6.O-O → Chapter 2
- 6.bxc3 → Chapter 3
- 4...Bc5 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.Nxf7 Nxf7 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qh5+ g6 9.Qxc5
- 9...d6 and other deviations on moves 5–9 → Chapter 4
- 9...d5 → Chapter 5
- 4...Nf6 5.e5
- 5...Ng4 and other rare 5th moves → Chapter 6
- 5...Ne4
- 6.Qe2 Nc5 7.O-O Ne6 8.Bxe6 fxe6 → Chapter 7
- 6.Qe2 Nc5 7.O-O Ne6 8.Bxe6 dxe6 → Chapter 8
- 6.Bd5 → Chapter 9
- 5...d5 6.Bb5
- 6...Nd7 7.O-O Be7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Nxd4 Nb8 10.Nc3 O-O 11.Qf3
- 11...Re8 and other deviations on moves 7–11 → Chapter 10
- 11...a5 → Chapter 11
- 6...Ne4 7.Nxd4
- 7...Bc5 8.Be3 Bd7 → Chapter 12
- 7...Bc5 8.Be3 O-O → Chapter 13
- 7...Bd7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.O-O
- 9...Bc5 and other alternatives to 9...Be7 → Chapter 14
- 9...Be7 → Chapter 15
- 6...Nd7 7.O-O Be7 8.Bxc6 bxc6 9.Nxd4 Nb8 10.Nc3 O-O 11.Qf3
Premium Course Features
- 15 Chapters
- 30 test positions
- 5 training positions
- Memory Booster
- To Go Version of every chapter
- Video instruction
- Multilingual PGN availability (English, German, French, Spanish)
Completing the 1.e4 Repertoire
Players who also want an answer to 1...c5 can turn to Movahed’s The Open Sicilian: A Complete Attacking Repertoire for White. It follows the same practical approach: clear plans for White and classical setups that Black’s usual preparation rarely targets.
Start Playing the Scotch Gambit
The Scotch Gambit – An Attacking Repertoire for White gives you a complete answer to 1...e5 and 2...Nc6, with a mix of positional play and dynamic flavour in every line. Add it to your repertoire today and give your opponents a new problem to solve after 4.Bc4.