Best Counter Against the Scandinavian Defense for White

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

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[@kombaz_shai_kobi_sela]

😢😢-'2---2---דז22-----

[@paulosantorops]

I've watched many many of your great videos, and I noticed that often you tell about knight being pinned by the Bishop with moves Bb5 or Bg5 for White and Bb4 or Bg4 for Black - but sometimes you tell that the pin is trouble to defense and sometimes it is not. It would be great a video only about this kind of pinning, showing how to easily identify when it is good to do (and troublesome to defense) or useless. Thank you!

[@Llanchlo]

Excellent analysis. Unfortunately at low levels almost no black retreats qd8 - they go on a wandering queen excursion.

[@checkmate2408]

Wandering queen is my favorite to play against. Nothing more fun than tickling the queen until your opponent finally blunders. I'm disappointed if they go back.

[@efthorpe]

In the last week, I have had 2 opponents put their Queen on c6.

[@hedge3d]

what if they dont blunder their queen and just cause you trouble :(@@checkmate2408

[@KingPanda-lp5ir]

@@efthorpe lol

[@truthbetold6322]

Cap

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

► Chapters 00:00 Powerful Counter for White Against the Scandinavian Defense 00:32 4.Bc4 for White, Valencian Variation 00:56 1) Black's falls for the TRAP 5...Bg4 (opening mistake) 01:17 2) If Black plays 5...Nc6 02:04 Queen Sacrifice for the WIN! 03:00 3) If Black plays 6...e6 04:10 Preparing your kingside attack 05:07 If Black plays h6

[@Naborbukv2]

0:23 if Qe6+ - Be2, c6 - Nf3 0:23 if Qe6+ - Be2, Qg6 - Nf3, Qxg2 - Rg1, Qh3 - Bc4, Bg4 - Bxf7+, Kxf7 - Rg3, Qh5 - Rxg4 0:52 if e6 - Nf3, Nf6 - d4, h6 - Qe2 1:01 if Bf5 - Ne5, e6 - Qf3, Qc8 - g4

[@MaxDooDat2]

At 3:32 in the video, all Black needs to do is move his bishop in front of his king; instead trying to use it to pin White's knight. So many of the successful attacks shown in these RCA videos are predicated on your opponent making some sort of blunder. But they are instructional as far as learning to look for and avoid those particular types of blunders.

[@ArxxWyvnClaw]

big thanks!

[@fortyofforty5257]

Thanks, Igor. I really enjoy your instructional videos.

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Glad to hear that!

[@fortyofforty5257]

By the way, when did you become a GM and how did it happen? Could you do a video on your early life? You are young now, so you must have become a GM at a very young age. @@GMIgorSmirnov

[@FelixPerez-ts3lx]

Very Petrosian-esque 😅 strangling the opponent- nice job as always GM Igor

[@brokendoll3368]

"Best Counter Against the Scandinavian" but only like its "worst" version. I guess maybe Stockfish thinks the Gambits are worse. However, if Black plays Qd8, then you kinda gotta ask "Why did Black play d5 in the first place?". Bringing out the Queen so early allows White to attack it and get ahead in development even more than already by being White. If Black play Qa5 or Qd6, then maybe they get something of the activity of their most powerful piece. Qd8 just doesn't look like a serious attempt by Black tbh.

[@davidrobertson1980]

Brilliant video Igor, thanks man

[@ohyeahohyeah1071]

Nice, but when are you making a video against the Scandinavian line that you suggest for Black? Which is, bringing out the Knight to recapture the pawn, instead of taking it directly with the Queen?

[@thechessguru2533]

What if black plays 4... g6 (1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd8 4. Bc4 g6!?)? This variation has been a big pain for me, and my coach even recommends me to play it against white because nobody comes up with an answer. If someone could provide me with some sort of an answer, I would be very grateful. Thanks for another great video Mr. Igor!

[@msurgi]

Hi. 2:32 has black move Bg4 and save the Queen. No?

[@KidNoah2012]

I think becoming a grandmaster is an enormous achievement but I have a feeling you're most proud of having a Vodka named after you.

[@saidmughery357]

Thank you sir ! I have been struggling against this opening for a long time

[@jamalchess9681]

Thank's Igor great video ..but is there an easy system for white after the ennoying ...2.Nf6!

[@jackmckok87]

Thank you Igor. I have had trouble getting an advantage against Scandy.

[@stevelenores5637]

What I do lately is 2.e5. Opponents have the choice of an advanced French Defense or the Caro Kann. Play the player not the board. - Lasker

[@failx5542]

After 2...c5 Black is just better

[@stevelenores5637]

@@failx5542 c3 followed up with d4. No worries. That is if this player even knows to play that.

[@failx5542]

@@stevelenores5637 Still Nc6, Bf5, e6, dream Position of any French/Caro/Scandi Player... but you are right, not many people know it (i got 2100 Fide elo)

[@joemarin3118]

This guy is money every time. His videos are interesting instructive and super useful. Keep up the great work my friend!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Glad you like them!

[@mstalcup]

Fantastic information!

[@Ducksaregreat]

I actually started playing this after learning about the first recorded game! I don’t remember what it’s called, but black played the Scandinavian and white played the Bc4 variation.

[@gotayimbara1185]

ආදරෙයි 💖🔥

[@coconutchess69]

2:33 what if thet go Qc7 the you just lost your queen? :S

[@xsmile__6393]

great!

[@ogregolabo]

Thanks

[@wilsongrail7793]

At 2:31 can’t white just move the queen to D6 blocking the pawn from moving up and revealing the check?

[@wilsongrail7793]

Oops I meant queen moves to C6

[@wilsongrail7793]

Oh wait I guess not because pawn takes on B7. My bad!

[@HENRYSAMANTE-d8s]

Timing and advantage also theory transposition in opening any of this

[@jordanmcmorris5248]

I used to use the first checkmate trick all the time, but I'd tottally forgotten about it

[@birgittoft8393]

What do you do if black plays d4 after you have played a3?

[@Nug_Lord]

Great, now everyone knows how to counter my go to opening hahaha Time to learn another I guess, what should it be?

[@speedingtrack_47]

nice

[@efthorpe]

As Black, has anybody tried Qd6 on the third move instead of Qd8 or Qa5?

[@jamesbarry8427]

The real problem with this is Black almost almost always plays N-F6 instead of QxD5 on his second move. And all these plans are foiled.

[@xxzekxx58]

3:08

[@Aymaanosuke-sama]

What if opponent plays "Qe6+"

[@Alanchess-]

Ur awesome

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

❤

[@mrnelgin]

Ah, found it :)

[@isitago]

What about …Q-e6+

[@kennethcrandall8131]

great queen sac! LOL

[@wallyanimations]

Video is useless to me unfortunately because my opponent never plays 3. ... Qd8

[@drewsarkisian9375]

3...Qd6 is stronger.

[@paraipangabriel5877]

Hi

[@eliasafheilbroun4191]

בושה בושההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההההה

[@himankraoyadav369]

Wrong way this is not the way Scandinavian is played....so definitely white will win

[@Alanchess-]

This is one of the lines...

[@Alanchess-]

When a GM is teaching you maybe just shutup and listen...

[@Sun-gs6hq]

Some of my opponents played this

[@himankraoyadav369]

@@Alanchess- but not the best one

[@mcronrn]

The position at 1:55 before the e5 push was reached 5600+ times on Lichess 👍🏽

[@GMWADE]

First

[@fergferguson7370]

I’ve never played a game where this stuff happens…