Current setup
Move ideas
Claims the center with a pawn and opens lines for the queen and king’s bishop.
Idea: Build quick development and make early castling possible.
Meets White’s center directly and opens lines for Black’s queen and bishop.
Idea: Fight for equal central space in a balanced, open position.
Develops the king’s knight and attacks Black’s e5-pawn.
Idea: Increase central pressure while getting ready to castle.
Defends e5 while developing the queen’s knight toward the center.
Idea: Hold the central pawn and keep several classical setups available.
Advances to d4 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.
Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.
Captures the pawn on d4 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Open lines in the center and reshape the center for the next phase.
Captures the pawn on d4 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Develops the bishop to c5, bringing it into the game.
Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.
Develops the bishop to e3, bringing it into the game.
Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.
Repositions the queen to f6, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Coordinate threats carefully while avoiding unnecessary tempi against the queen.
Advances the c-pawn to gain queenside space and control new squares.
Idea: Create useful wing space while keeping the central structure flexible.
Develops the knight to e7, bringing it into the game.
Idea: Improve piece coordination and clear the back rank for castling and the rooks.
Repositions the queen to d2, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Coordinate threats carefully while avoiding unnecessary tempi against the queen.
Advances to d5 to claim central space and control nearby key squares.
Idea: Give the pieces room to develop behind a durable central foothold.
Repositions the knight to b5, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Improve the piece’s activity and support the next stage of the plan.
Captures the bishop on e3 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Captures the bishop on e3 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Tucks the king away and activates the rook in a single move.
Idea: Finish kingside development so the central pieces can coordinate safely.
Captures the pawn on c7 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Repositions the rook to b8, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Improve the piece’s activity and support the next stage of the plan.
Captures the pawn on d5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Captures the knight on d5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Remove an active defender and improve the moving piece’s influence.
Captures the knight on d5 and changes the local pawn or piece balance.
Idea: Open lines in the center and reshape the center for the next phase.
Repositions the knight to b4, where it influences a new part of the board.
Idea: Improve the piece’s activity and support the next stage of the plan.
Waiting for Lichess game popularity.
Each line below is an indexed entry under Scotch Game. Open one to load it on the board and keep exploring from that position.
24 more named lines sit inside this family — the tree above walks all of them.
ECO groups openings by the structures they lead to, so these families tend to share plans with the Scotch Game.