Scandinavian: 2...Qxd5, 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4

Scandinavian Defense – 2…Qxd5, 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4 Line

Definition

The phrase “Scandinavian: 2…Qxd5, 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4” designates one of the most popular branches of the Scandinavian Defense (also called the Center Counter). It arises after the moves 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4. Black immediately recaptures on d5 with the queen (2…Qxd5) and later places the queen on a5 (move 3) while developing the king-side pieces. White’s 6.Bc4 aims at f7 and invites dynamic play.

Typical Move Order

1. e4 d5
2. exd5 Qxd5  – Black recaptures at once, accepting an early queen sortie.
3. Nc3 Qa5  – The “Classical” retreat; the queen eyes the a5-e1 diagonal.
4. d4 Nf6  – Both sides strengthen the centre.
5. Nf3 Bf5  – A key developing move; the bishop keeps an eye on c2 and e4.
6. Bc4 – The line under discussion, adding pressure to f7 and preparing to castle short.

Strategic Themes

• Black’s queen placement. By playing 2…Qxd5, Black accepts a slight loss of time but gains a sturdy pawn structure. On a5 the queen pins the c3-knight and supports the b5 advance, but she can become a target after 6.Bc4.
• Minor-piece activity. 5…Bf5 and 6.Bc4 lead to a symmetrical bishop standoff. The first side to complete development and strike in the centre (…e6/e5 for Black, d5 or Ne5 for White) often seizes the initiative.
• King safety. White usually castles short immediately; Black must decide between …e6 & …Be7 with kingside castling or the sharper …c6, …e6 and long castling. The choice shapes the middlegame plans.
• Central tension. The pawn duo d4–e4 versus Black’s d- and e-pawns is the heart of the position. If Black breaks with …e5 or …c5 before White is ready, the queen’s early venture is justified.

Typical Plans

• For White
  1. 0–0, Qe2, Rd1 piling up on the d-file.
  2. Ne5 followed by g4–g5 to harass the Bf5.
  3. d5 pawn break, especially after Black commits to …c6.
• For Black
  1. …e6, …Bb4, and sometimes …O-O-O with a kingside pawn storm.
  2. …Nc6 and …O-O, placing rooks on e8 and d8 to counter the centre.
  3. Early …c5 striking at d4 if White delays castling.

Historical Notes

The Scandinavian is one of chess’s oldest recorded defenses (Gioachino Greco, 1620s). The 2…Qxd5 route was revitalised in modern times by grandmasters such as Curt Hansen and, most notably, Sergei Tiviakov, who boasts an impressive lifetime score with it (well over 80% in hundreds of games). The 6.Bc4 line gained theoretical weight after the 1990s, when strong computers showed that White could play for an edge without risking much.

Illustrative Mini-Game

Below is a concise model game (notes abridged):

[[Pgn|1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5 6.Bc4 e6 7.O-O c6 8.Bd2 Qc7 9.Re1 Nbd7 10.Ng5 Bd6 11.Qf3 O-O 12.h3 h6 13.Nge4 Nxe4 14.Nxe4 Bxe4 15.Qxe4 Rad8 16.Bd3 Nf6 17.Qh4 Be7 18.c3 Nd5 19.Qe4 Nf6 20.Qe5 Bd6 21.Qe2 Rfe8 22.Qf3 Nd7 23.Re2 e5 24.Rae1 Nf8 25.Bc4 Ng6 26.Qf5 Kh8 27.Bxf7 Qxf7 28.Qxf7 1-0]]

Notable High-Level Encounters

• Tiviakov – Sutovsky, Gibraltar 2005 – model positional squeeze after 6.Bc4.
• Carlsen – Beliavsky, Biel 2007 – the future World Champion employed 6.Bc4 to win a smooth strategic game.
• Howell – Ward, British Ch. 2012 – illustrates the dangerous kingside attack White can generate.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• GM Sergei Tiviakov once went 45 consecutive games without a loss in the 2…Qxd5 Scandinavian, an extraordinary theoretical endorsement.
• Because the queen comes out on move 2, club players often call this defense “the lady’s outing.” In blitz, many an overzealous Black queen has been trapped after an incautious …Qxd5–…Qa5–…Qh5 march.
• Engines initially gave White a small edge after 6.Bc4, but by 2023 modern neural-network evaluations rank the position as roughly equal, provided Black knows the subtleties of move orders (especially the timely …c6 and …Bb4+ ideas).

Why Study This Line?

For White, 6.Bc4 offers a principled, development-oriented approach requiring only moderate theory. For Black, the 2…Qxd5 system avoids the heavily analysed 3…Qd6 and 3…Qd8 variations, while steering the game into strategically rich waters where experience outweighs memorisation. Knowing the ideas behind 5…Bf5 6.Bc4 is therefore invaluable for any Scandinavian practitioner.