Learn the Scandinavian Defense in 15 Minutes [Chess Opening Crash Course]

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

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[@GMIgorSmirnov]

► Chapters 00:00 Scandinavian Defense: Chess Openings Crash Course 00:15 Why is Scandinavian Defense better than 1...e5? 02:38 White's options after 1...d5 04:10 Sideline 2.Nf3, Tennison Gambit 05:19 1) If White plays 2.e5 07:48 If you can't capture the e5-pawn 08:37 2) If White plays 2.exd5 (Mainline) 10:04 Scandinavian Defense for White 10:45 3...Qa5, Classical Line (simple opening setup for Black) 13:20 2...Nf6, Modern Variation 14:49 White plays 3.c4 to defend d5, Icelandic-Palme Gambit

[@krzysztofizdebski1223]

An interesting weapon against Modern Variation 2....Nf6 may be the bishop move Bb5+. I want to test it at real games :)

[@MyBiPolarBearMax]

This is excellent and exactly what i was looking for! Literally yesterday i was thinking “i need to find more aggressive openings for black, i should look on Igor’s channel to find one” 😂 Great work as always and *love* the teaching method of explaining the why of every position so you dont just memorize moves. Best chess teacher on YT!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Great! Memorizing moves does not work. There are just too many possibilities.

[@gmsi7d371]

@@GMIgorSmirnov thank you. so this leads to what i have to say. i am here because i want to use the philosophy of chess in other areas of life. i could care less about the game of chess itself and the pieces to move over the board. - - > i could care less about becoming a chess GM. i care about what chess teaches for winning the battle of life . i care about becoming A life GM, a strategic thinking GM and this is why i call myself "GM SI7D " on youtube.

[@Magoooobly]

Ive thought the scandi was lame for so long because all i see is queen taking pawn on move 2. This is much more interesting, might start playing it in my games.

[@worsethanjoerogan8061]

The Scandi is objectively pretty bad, but unless you're at GM level it's perfectly playable

[@Nielz24v]

​​@@worsethanjoerogan8061 i always play scandi when i get black pieces and i am 1800 elo, tho taking with queen is pretty much horrible, just develop your knight attacking the pawn , most players dont expect it and most understimate it, but i have had many perfect games with scandi

[@Nielz24v]

Palme Icelandic gambit is one of my favorite openings, i love it and it comes from this line of the scandi

[@krzysztofizdebski1223]

@@worsethanjoerogan8061 Magnus from Norway plays Scandi sometimes :) But he can plays everything :) He plays even Kings Gambit, my the best opening :)

[@percivalsimon6202]

Thanks a lot, sir! An avid fan of yours from the Philippines... more power and God bless!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

❤️

[@Primitive_Code]

I also like the two sidelines: Portuguese gambit in longer time controls that you've covered in your opening bundle and Kadas gambit for blitz and bullet. Kadas does amazing in bullet.

[@WayOfHaQodesh]

As a Scandinavian Viking myself, I wholeheartedly appreciate this video and the other one.

[@vigilantvillan1967]

Your videos are very helpful! As a beginner, I really like these system type setups.

[@adamflory8473]

I’m understanding chess much more thanks to you. I think it’s better to learn a system now than to learn how to win quickly with traps and gambits. I like it how you take the time to explain the logic behind even the most uncommon openings too!

[@mariogilligan841]

I have searched a long time my favorite black opening as black against e4 and I really like this one. I will give it a try. Thanks again!

[@redblast99]

I played games with the Scandinavian and i gained a lot of rating points cause 1.e4 is most popular for white at my level , thanks Gm smirnov

[@SRINIDHISUBRAMANYA-z3c]

Thanks a ton Sir! I was been learning scandinavian since 2 months but i have been unsuccessful. Your video was outstanding!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Glad to hear that

[@jdmnc27]

your format is particularly helpful for beginners and starters. i for one don't know how to 'study' chess. i know how to play the basics but i decided to study chess in depth(? sort of) because i want to teach my child how to play. Hoping that someday he gets better bring him achievements or skills or at least develop what cognitive development this mind game might bring. your format is bite sized, a bit still too much for one bite 😅but the vid can be paused and watched for a few times so that's not much of a problem. i transfer and save it using other availalble online tools so i can just run through the line, along with different variations. i separate other variations if there are too many of them like your version of the sicilian. but on videos with one or two lines, i save it in one chapter. your videos helped me a lot and i hope i reach 1000 to 1500 someday. 🤭I benefit from it too after all, not just for my child. thank you for you generosity in sharing your skills and knowledge in chess. the best that i know, easy to watch and listen to.

[@MrBrave6000HQ]

Can U do a full course on Sicilian defends variations. I would watch it for hours

[@AdventureSam]

Second this

[@Wryyyyyyyyy21]

Scandinavian is my first opening I learnt when I was 300, now I'm 600 ,im learning it again cuz I quitted chess, I also watched Levy video but it's a little bit outdated,but in your video ,you explained everything I need to know like decline pawn on d5 or modern Scandinavian. I hope you reached 1m this 2024.

[@TheRealIndia228]

How much time did it take to get 300 more elo?

[@kon_humein]

​@@TheRealIndia228I went from 300 to 1400 in just a year.Just watch agadmator,levy and do as much puzzles as you can

[@anshuman8147]

​@@TheRealIndia228I went from 400 to 1300 in just a year.All you gotta do is do puzzles as much as you can and learn some beginner openings.You can watch levy or this channel for that and make sure you watch agadmator and hikaru channel as it helps to understand the game better.

[@geo.j27]

4 days

[@Wryyyyyyyyy21]

@@TheRealIndia228 1 month

[@lordwilfrandosy6791]

I have not played chess in a long time. I am excited to try this opening!

[@mrnelgin]

After Qxd4 I'd like to have seen the continuation of Qe2. That makes Qxf2+ impossible Also there's Nxe4 since it's unpinned which also stops Qxf2. Finally B Be3 would attack the queen. There's so many ways for white to respond here. I guess the idea was just to show up that checkmate idea but that's "hopeful" chess. :)

[@dancu9271]

A lot of thanks for making and sharing your video!!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

You're welcome, thank you for watching!

[@bluetrain477]

Thanks Igor I started playing Scandinavian Defense against e4 and broke 600 for the first time!

[@capchemist]

"will suffer from HORSING around for so long" lmao

[@Simon0]

Lol. 🐴😊

[@erwinrommelalejo6493]

Good video for me. I found a new defense against e4 other than Ruy Lopez. Thank you

[@Immortal_46]

Thank you i have learnt alot from this video.

[@stevenhudson7313]

Enjoyed. Center gambit.

[@samuraituff9653]

2:14 opening 3:07 if they defend pawn with pawn 3:21 they defend with knight 3:58 if they continue with the knight 4:13 knight f3 tension gambit 6:40 they push forward 7:05 you move pawn up 7:16 if they bring knight out pin it 7:24 when they bring bishop out you bring other knight 7:52 if they somehow manage to defend develop like normal 8:16 8:54 white recaptures 9:04 knight attacks queen 9:29 don't do 9:46 find safe square 10:50 best move to go with queen 11:02 move pawn 11:21 they bring knight out you pin 11:38 game plan 12:00 if they attack your queen move it back 12:26 push pawn 12:40 bring other bishop out 12:58

[@samuraituff9653]

13:48 you attack with knight 14:11 you get pawn and develop 14:24 if they attack with knight 14:38 you pin knight 14:58 the downside 15:07 you play pawn e6 15:34 they go pawn d4 and you check with bishop 15:40 they cover but you move knight forward 15:48 you attack with queen

[@strongestunited]

my new fav opening

[@calerechess1593]

Thanks for making a video on the Scandinavian, I used to make the mistake almost all the time of checking the king in the mainline 9:29

[@katis999]

Very nice, Sir, thank you

[@fjpajerski]

You continue to make the most useful and informative chess videos, enhanced by your great commucation skill. Their length is about right and they relate so well to un-titled players. The only thing missing is your cat dozing in the background!!

[@platindasgupta01]

Please do such crash courses on Grunfeld, Nimzo, Kings Indian, Sicilian closed, Catalan, Slav, semi slav

[@niso987]

Thanks for the videos you are the best can you make a videos about middle game plans? Thanks!

[@tonyyoung1662]

Hey Igor Nation. I love this channel. Can you look into the CATALAN opening? Please and thank you

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Hey Nice suggestion.

[@NoSir99]

I more thean agree with brandonlaureys: exactly what I was looking for. I will certainly also look into the follow up video. Best regards

[@jansenshomo7747]

You've saved my chess, I appreciate it

[@markbinfield7928]

I see the advance variation a lot at my level, and honestly, white doesn’t have much trouble defending the pawn on e5 if they want to. A lot of the positions seem to be ones where black has a slight theoretical advantage according to the engine (or at least less of a disadvantage than the Scandinavian main line, which the engines don’t seem to love) but the positions seem really awkward to play for black.

[@DrZaiu5]

Please do make more videos like this. I would love one showing how to play against the Kings Indian as white

[@chriso6884]

Thanks for this. I've watched quite a few of your videos and always find them very worthwhile. I would like to ask if maybe you would consider doing another Scandi video or two in a little greater depth. I've been playing it a lot for a couple of years (I'm around 1600-1700 on lichess). I used to play the early c6 line as you show, but I found that as opponents got better, I ran into more trouble with it. Now I generally play Nf6 and delay c6, sometimes never playing it. Anyway, maybe you could address that in a future video as in most lines, the discoveries are not all that dangerous.

[@MrBrave6000HQ]

love ur videos bro, very educational, precise and entertaining. Keep up the work bro!! Also can u do a video for sicilian defense, caro kann defense and dutch defense pls bro

[@themind1401]

Pls B29 Sicilian defense nimzowitsch variation, and also mid game plans, these videos are perfect 💯❤

[@QuarantiningArmadillo]

Can you make a video on how to beat d4 Nf6 e3? I'm finding it really hard to get any sort of advantage, as I usually play KID and I can't find any sort of solid plan to beat it. Thanks

[@JeffMoche]

Great video! I really want to try this now, because I'm bored with the Caro or d6 that I usually play.

[@JeffMoche]

I tried it just now and with 2.nf6. But I couldn't get the pawn back until many moves later, and then I soon made a fatal blunder. It was a pretty good game up until just then. I played 3 today, and my first was a 96% accuracy on Lichess, with 18 centipawn loss. Maybe a record for me.

[@mendaomn]

Thank you for the video! I’ll have to study this for a while:) I wonder, is there a similar “good for beginners” opening against 1. d4?

[@themind1401]

Wow thank you this is great

[@strongestunited]

PLEASE DO THE KINGS GAMBIT NEXT!

[@joeleidig2199]

Thank you! Very helpful!

[@radionqnewchanceokcspencer6116]

I've been playing off of the English opening video you made about a week ago, I've climbed up about 200 rating points

[@ElizabethGreene]

Thank you very much.

[@arthurwieczorek4894]

15:42. 1.P-d5 B-d7, 2.B-d2 N×B, 3.Q×N maybe P-a5.

[@antoinegoujon3124]

Great vidéo .. Jobava London next ? Hyper Accelerated Dragon ?

[@-AxisA-]

I usually go for knight to f3 on move 2 when black recaptures the pawn with the queen, it's like a zwischenzug to see what black will do. Then on move 3 I win tempo by playing knight to c3 attacking the queen. That's if the queen doesn't move on move 2, but almost all the opponents I face don't move the queen unless attacked.

[@gdn174]

Great video, thanks

[@TabGalaxy-i4b]

Great video, very helpful

[@JuanRamirez-jm9bp]

Thanks for your videos Igor !

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Glad you like them!

[@siddharth6355]

Nice Thanks!

[@brooksrimes1435]

You are an excellent teacher!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Thank you! 😃

[@DraganAlves]

Excellent video!!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Glad you liked it!

[@technobrawler]

Today's i have a chess tournament than I will play this skandenevian defence.🎉 thanks

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Good luck!

[@technobrawler]

@@GMIgorSmirnov Thanks, it's over and I won by checkmate.

[@tbg6nb]

3:08 could white play d4 instead of e4 ?

[@CatsPostContent]

AMAZING VIDEO!!! No one else has made such a great video on the Scandinavian defence your video was very easy to understand and it was very educational.

[@prappo07]

you are my best teacher

[@juancarlosdunick]

Between you and Gotham I prefer you cause your videos and shorter!

[@butterbeanthemall]

With a lot less yelling

[@masonplayzz93]

In Gotham's old videos he has 10 minute openings

[@Burningsnotball]

And someone is a grandmaster. The other is not.

[@Jessejs]

Love the videos!

[@cwesley2005]

GM Igor Smirnoff thank you for all you do! Merry Christmas!

[@R.Akerman-oz1tf]

Ditto!

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Merry Christmas!

[@patriciocastilloupton1492]

I have a question. What will be the following line if white plays pawn to b4 attacking my queen on a5?

[@Redribbon_iv]

Thankyou

[@ethanclark2613]

Informative!

[@klemo7672]

Hi, thx for the Video. 07:10 but the Queen supports the white d pawn...

[@ImmortalRB]

I was about to say the same

[@mcbigswig1569]

IGOR NATION FTW!

[@ItsYouAreNotYour]

Catlan please!

[@breakoutgaffe4027]

Love this format! Scotch gambit and Bishops Opening please

[@mamtagrover3748]

Underrated

[@adwitiyatrivedi343]

at @4:04 white can play c3 and then when we do c6, white can simpley kb4 and defend with that c3 pawn

[@gm2407]

Hmm I was thinking 1.e4 d5 2.e5 c5 3.f4. I put it into Lichess engine with that move order and it favoured black by 0.6 recommended 3.. Nc6 for the Scandinavian order, put it in as 1.e4 c5 2.f4 d5 3.e5 it favoured black by 0.8 recommended 3.. Nf6 for the Sicilian order. Don't trust the engine in the openings. Anyway just some ideas if you push e5 and black does not push d4. However if black does push d4. 1.e4 d5 2.e5 d4 3.Bb5+ c6 4. Be2 Bf5 5.f4 d3 6.Bxd3 Bxd3 7. cxd3 Na6 8.d4 Nb5 9. Ne2 Nd3+ 10.Kf1 Qb6 11.Qa4 Nxc1 12. Nxc1 e6. 13. Nc3 Ne6 14. Nb3 Rc1. White has a big centre, a strong queen side and black is under developed, a slow positional game. The oposite of a centre counter gambit game. Also some interesting lines not mentioned hiding in that one. Also 1.e4 d5 2.e5 d4 3.Bb5+ c6 4. Be2 Bf5 5.f4 d3 6.Bxd3 Bxd3 7. cxd3 Na6 8.d4 Qxd4 9. Ne2 Qd8 10.d4 e6. 11.0-0 Ne7 12.Nbc3 h5 Black attacks king side with knight pawn rook and queen. White has a strong castled position and centre is blocked. Options defend or queen side attack. Note white has a floating centre supported by pieces so black might look to undermine that.

[@silvestrerasuk1]

What about after black queen takes pawn, if she goes eE6 , instead of e5 ? What should white do ??

[@ernestogarcillan1977]

What's best reply to 1. e4 d5 2. d3

[@liamtuite123]

That's covered at 3:05

[@ernestogarcillan1977]

@@liamtuite123 white not takes dxe4.. 1. e4 d5 2. d3 dxe4 3. Nc3

[@Styledbyarella]

Thank you so much I have been trying to perfect this opening

[@eddieray8095]

I love these videos. Thanks Igor!

[@daily5minvlogs211]

nice video. btw is it legit that in the constitution of Denmark, Sweden and Norway, it is necessary to know the scandinavian defense?

[@jenistonashok5224]

Good teacher❤

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

❤

[@davidrobertson1980]

Thanks Igor and Happy New Year dude, may 2024 be your BEST year

[@TJHeezy]

great video

[@raymondshreshtha2356]

8:47 main line 13:23 new line instead of main line

[@letsknow0702]

Learning every day new moves

[@Dqrknss]

Thanks for preparing me for a chess turnament in Germany. You helped me get 2 out of like 2k! Thanks so much 🙏

[@nishusaif6085]

This is a good opening.

[@Simon0]

I developed a new opening. The simon defence. Unfortunately it doesn't work and i lose every game 😂. J lol im just kidding around. Just getting into chess what a fascinating game! Im learning openings. For white im going to use London system. For black Scandinavian defence 😎. So i came here to see follow up moves so i know what to do because so far i only know that first move for black! Anyway this is really cool think im gonna get into it

[@JoshuaJamez]

Thank you Igor, the Lord God used this teaching lesson of yours to help me understand that for every game variation, there may be a gambit or a trap that each side can apply to their opponent. Do you find this to be true?

[@arjunbishnoi6384]

King's indian defense please

[@shaihanghani2711]

It's an excellent content on the Scandinavian Defence as a crash course. Expecting something like this on the 'Benko Gambit' as a crash course as well.

[@ManosErikosKlapsakis]

nice ideas

[@spghose2437]

as amazing always....

[@nehaawasthi2868]

GM Igor smirnov I can't find the part of the before purchase details, where it should ask your adress, could you tell me where I can find it

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Can you contact our support at @[e-mail] we will help you.

[@nehaawasthi2868]

Never mind, I figured out how to do the payment

[@rodneygreenwell7620]

Hi Igor I'm trying to find one of your videos unfortunately unsuccessfully The video is the fort Knox variation of the Caro kann any help will be awesome

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

Are you looking for this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/fqeog2WfmdmKbK8

[@rodneygreenwell7620]

No unfortunately not but thanks for trying It was called the fort Knox variation.

[@rodneygreenwell7620]

My mistake I just watched the French video by Igor and it is the fort Knox variation of the French defense but again thank you for your help

[@ohyeahohyeah1071]

Hey Igor, you missed one possible line after e4 d5, which is white playing d4 on move 2 (Blackmar Diemer gambit). How do I play that in case I face it as Black? (I have already seen your video where you covered it from White's perspective, so that's not an issue)

[@christophnz]

If you don't want to worry about the BDG, go for 2...e6 or 2...c6, but be aware that BDG players - as me - do also have aggressive sidelines there LOL

[@ΓιάννηςΛ-ο3ε]

I play eather Scandinavian or sicilian defence depending on opponents first move

[@bryanlaabs]

White could play d4 against scandy and transpose into the Blackman diemer

[@chessboy6274]

Hi 👋 I bought your premium course and I informed support about it but i still didn't get any course for free. What i should do?

[@GMIgorSmirnov]

We replied to you. Sorry about that. It takes time to get back to everyone! Merry Christmas!

[@MrFernandoJones]

You rock

[@Lovetheviolins]

Oh wise and mighty one...

[@edb7366]

Your American English is very impressive!

[@arumugammunusamy7099]

I won magnus in bullet with this🎉🎉