Scandinavian Defense: Mieses, Kotrc, Main Line, Anderssen

Scandinavian Defense

Definition

The Scandinavian Defense is an opening that begins with the moves 1. e4 d5. Black immediately challenges the e-pawn with a central pawn thrust, forcing an early clash in the center. It is also known as the “Center-Counter Defense.”

How it is used in chess

• After 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 (or 2…Nf6), Black accepts a slight tempo loss on the queen in exchange for quick development and clear central structure.
• It can transpose into many sub-variations, such as the Modern Scandinavian (…Qd6), the Portuguese Gambit (…Nf6 3. d4 Bg4), or the Icelandic Gambit (2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 e6).
• Popular at club level because the ideas are concrete and theoretical preparation is manageable compared with, say, the Sicilian.

Strategic and historical significance

Recorded as early as 1475 in the manuscript “Göttingen Handschrift,” the Scandinavian may be the oldest named opening still in regular use. It enjoyed a revival after Bent Larsen employed it successfully in the 1960s, and later when Viswanathan Anand beat Kasparov with it in Reykjavík 1995 (rapid).

Illustrative example

The so-called “Main Line” (2…Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5) reached grandmaster respectability after the stem game:

White develops quickly; Black keeps a solid pawn structure and aims for …e6, …Bb4, and castle queenside.

Interesting facts

• Magnus Carlsen used the Scandinavian in the final round of Wijk aan Zee 2010 to clinch first place versus Fabiano Caruana.
• Software pioneer Ken Thompson’s computer “Belle” preferred the Scandinavian in the late 1970s because the early queen sortie fit its tactical style.

Mieses

Definition

Jacques Mieses (1865-1954) was a German-born British grandmaster, prolific author, and one of the great opening theoreticians of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In opening nomenclature, “Mieses” usually designates specific variations he championed.

How the name appears in openings

• Mieses Variation of the Scandinavian: 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 c6 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. Bc4 Bf5 7. Bd2!?
• Mieses Variation of the King’s Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3.
• Mieses Opening (1. d3) – a flexible first move he used regularly in exhibitions.

Historical significance

Mieses was among the first to receive the official GM title in 1950. His analytical articles in German periodicals helped codify opening names in common use today.

Anecdote

During the famed San Sebastián 1911 tournament, Mieses quipped after oversleeping and losing on time, “My opponent’s play was so profound I never arrived at the board.”

Kotrc

Definition

“Kotrc” refers to Václav Kotrc (1862-1950), strong Czech chess master and problem composer. In opening theory his name is linked mainly to the Kotrc Variation of the Scandinavian: 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 Bg4.

How it is used

In literature, one may see “Scandinavian, Kotrc–Mieses, Main Line” to denote the sequence up to 5…Bg4 or 5…c6. Kotrc’s early …Bg4 idea clamps down on the e2-square and accelerates kingside development.

Example game

Kotrc vs. Schlechter, Nuremberg 1896, featured the variation from the opposite side; Kotrc defended the line as Black and earned a draw against one of the era’s toughest technicians.

Interesting fact

Kotrc published more than 400 chess compositions; his love for elegant tactical themes translated naturally into advocating sharp opening play.

Main Line

Definition

In chess parlance, the “Main Line” is the principal or most theoretically respected sequence of moves within an opening system. It contrasts with “sidelines” or “deviations.”

Usage in practice

• Annotated as “Main line:” in books or databases.
• Often represents the moves most frequently played by top grandmasters.
• Engine evaluations and human consensus shape what is considered mainline, and this can shift over time (e.g., Najdorf 6. Bg5 vs. 6. Be3).

Strategic significance

Because both sides typically know the main line deeply, psychological battles can hinge on who deviates first and where each side’s preparation ends.

Example

In the Scandinavian, the “Main Line” is:

1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qa5 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 c6.

Anecdote

World Champion Bobby Fischer remarked that he preferred main lines because “Why play inferior moves when the best moves have already been discovered?”—though he famously switched to sidelines to surprise Spassky in 1972.

Anderssen

Definition

Adolf Anderssen (1818-1879) was a German chess legend celebrated for romantic, sacrificial games such as the “Immortal Game” (Anderssen–Kieseritzky, London 1851) and the “Evergreen” (vs. Dufresne, 1852).

Presence in opening names

• Anderssen Counter-Gambit in the Scandinavian: 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4!? Sacrifices a pawn for rapid development—true to Anderssen’s spirit.
• Anderssen Variation of the Scotch Game: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7.

Historical significance

Considered unofficial World Champion in the 1850s, Anderssen’s tactical masterpieces inspired generations and remain staple examples in teaching combinations.

Interesting facts

• Despite a genius for complications, Anderssen was a mathematics teacher by profession and reputedly modest off the board.
• Garry Kasparov ranked Anderssen among the “giants” on whose shoulders modern chess stands in his book “My Great Predecessors.”

Göteborg System

Definition

The Göteborg System (or “Gothenburg System”) is a theoretical line of the Sicilian Najdorf that arose dramatically in the Interzonal at Göteborg 1955. It begins with:

1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nc3 a6 6. Bg5 e6 7. f4 Qb6.

How it is used

Black’s queen move attacks both the b- and d-pawns and sets traps if White grabs material. The system aims to sidestep heavily analyzed Poisoned-Pawn (7…Qb6 vs. 7…Qb6 8. Qd2 Qxb2) variations while retaining counter-attacking chances.

Strategic significance

• Black chooses between queen maneuvers (…Qb6, …Qe3+ or …Qc7) while preparing …b5 and kingside play.
• White often responds 8. Qd2, 8. Nb3, or the critical 8. Qd3, each shaping the pawn structure differently.

Historical background

At Göteborg 1955, three Soviet players—Keres, Geller, and Spassky—secretly prepared the same novelty 11…Nxe4 (after 8…Qxb2) and unleashed it simultaneously in different games. All three lost! Nevertheless the line kept theoretical interest and the name stuck.

Example fragment

In modern praxis Black often prefers 8…Be7 or 8…Nc6 instead of grabbing the pawn.

Interesting fact

Grandmaster Jan Timman recovered the Göteborg System for Black in the 1980s with nuanced queen retreats, proving the opening’s resilience decades after its infamous triple defeat.