Scandinavian Defense

Scandinavian Defense
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8
a8 black rook
b8 black knight
c8 black bishop
d8 black queen
e8 black king
f8 black bishop
g8 black knight
h8 black rook
a7 black pawn
b7 black pawn
c7 black pawn
e7 black pawn
f7 black pawn
g7 black pawn
h7 black pawn
d5 black pawn
e4 white pawn
a2 white pawn
b2 white pawn
c2 white pawn
d2 white pawn
f2 white pawn
g2 white pawn
h2 white pawn
a1 white rook
b1 white knight
c1 white bishop
d1 white queen
e1 white king
f1 white bishop
g1 white knight
h1 white rook
8
77
66
55
44
33
22
11
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Moves1.e4 d5
ECOB01
OriginCastellvi vs. Vinyoles, Valencia 1475
Named afterScandinavia
ParentKing's Pawn Game
Synonym(s)Center Counter Defense
Center Counter Game

The Scandinavian Defense (or Center Counter Defense, or Center Counter Game) is a chess opening characterized by the moves:

1. e4 d5

This opening is classified under code B01 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings. The Scandinavian Defense, described in the poem Scachs d'amor, is the oldest opening by Black recorded in modern chess.[1] Considered to be the most directly challenging move available to Black after 1.e4, the general goal of the defense is to prevent White from controlling the center of the board with pawns, effectively forcing an open game, while allowing Black to build a strong pawn structure.

  1. ^ O'Sullivan, D.E. (2012). Chess in the Middle Ages and Early Modern Age: A Fundamental Thought Paradigm of the Premodern World. Fundamentals of Medieval and Early Modern Culture. De Gruyter. p. 217. ISBN 978-3-11-028881-0. Retrieved 30 January 2021.