Centre Counter

1.e4 d5

centrecounter.gif (4829 bytes)

This opening is also known as the Scandinavian Defence. It was used for its surprise value by Anand in the 1995 PCA World Championship match against Kasparov. 

After 2.exd5 Black has the choice of:

A. 2...Qxd5

B. 2...Nf6


A. 2...Qxd5

The disadvantage of this move is that the Queen is in the centre of the board and vulnerable to attack. White will attack the Queen with Nc3 and then try and make good use of his lead in development.

Kasparov Garry - Anand Viswanathan [B01/14]
Ch World (match) (PCA), New York (USA), 1995

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Ne5 Be6 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.f4 g6 9.0-0 Bg7 10.Kh1 Bf5 11.Bc4 e6 12.Be2 h5 13.Be3 Rd8 14.Bg1 0-0 15.Bf3 Nd5 16.Nxd5 exd5 17.Bf2 Qc7 18.Rc1 f6 19.Nd3 Rfe8 20.b3 Nb6 21.a4 Nc8 22.c4 Qf7 23.a5 Bf8 24.cxd5 cxd5 25.Bh4 Nd6 26.a6 b6 27.Ne5 Qe6 28.g4 hxg4 29.Nxg4 Bg7 30.Rc7 Ne4 31.Ne3 Bh3 32.Rg1 g5 33.Bg4 Bxg4 34.Qxg4 Qxg4 35.Rxg4 Nd6 36.Bf2 Nb5 37.Rb7 Re4 38.f5 Rxg4 39.Nxg4 Rc8 40.Rd7 Rc2 41.Rxd5 1-0

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Fischer,R - Addison,W [B01]
Palma de Mallorca izt (3), 1970

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bc4 Bf5 6.Qf3 Qc8 7.Bg5 Bxc2 8.Rc1 Bg6 9.Nge2 Nbd7 10.0-0 e6 11.Bxf6 gxf6 12.d5 e5 13.Bb5 Be7 14.Ng3 a6 15.Bd3 Qd8 16.h4 h5 17.Bf5 Nb6 18.Nce4 Nxd5 19.Rfd1 c6 20.Nc3 Qb6 21.Rxd5 cxd5 22.Nxd5 Qxb2 23.Rb1 Qxa2 24.Rxb7 1-0

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B. 2...Nf6

White can now play:

3. c4

Fischer,R - Von Oettingen,S [B14]
Davis sim, 1964

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.c4 c6 4.d4 cxd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Nf3 e6 7.c5 Be7 8.Bb5 0-0 9.0-0 Bd7 10.Bf4 Ne4 11.Rc1 f5 12.Bxc6 Bxc6 13.Ne5 Qe8 14.f3 Nxc3 15.Rxc3 Bf6 16.Re1 g5 17.Nxc6 Qxc6 18.Be5 Qd7 19.b4 a5 20.b5 Qxb5 21.Rb3 Qd7 22.Qb1 Bxe5 23.Rxe5 Rf7 24.Rb6 Re7 25.Qb3 a4 26.Qe3 Kf7 27.Qxg5 Ra6 28.Rxa6 bxa6 29.g4 Re8 30.gxf5 Qd8 31.fxe6+ 1-0

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3. d4

Jansa,V (2500) - Robatsch,K (2410) [B01]
AUT-chT9495, 1995

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nf3 g6 6.h3 Bg7 7.Nc3 0-0 8.Be3 Nc6 9.Qd2 e5 10.d5 Ne7 11.g4 f5 12.0-0-0 e4 13.Ng5 h6 14.Ne6 Bxe6 15.dxe6

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15... Qxd2+ 16.Rxd2 Rad8 17.Rxd8 Rxd8 18.Be2 c6 19.Kc2 Kh7 20.b3 Nbc8 21.h4 Rd6 22.h5 Rxe6 23.hxg6+ Rxg6 24.Rd1 Bxc3 25.Kxc3 fxg4 26.Rd7 Rg7 27.Kd2 Nf5 28.Rxg7+ Kxg7 29.Bxg4 Kf6 30.Bxh6 Nxh6 31.Bxc8 b6 32.Bb7 Ke5 33.Bxc6 Kd4 34.Ke2 Nf7 35.Bd5 Ne5 36.a3 a5 37.Be6 Nd3 38.Bf7 Nc1+ 39.Kd2 Nxb3+ 40.Ke2 Nc5 41.Be8 Nd3 42.a4 Ne5 43.Bb5 Nxc4 44.Bc6 Nd6 45.Bd7 Nb7 46.Bc6 Nc5 47.Kd2 e3+ 48.fxe3+ Kc4 49.Kc2 Kb4 50.e4 Kc4 51.e5 Kd4 52.Be8 Kxe5 53.Kc3 ½-½

3. Bb5+

Anand,V (2725) - Galego,L (2390) [B01]
Oviedo rapid (12), 1993

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 3.Bb5+ Nbd7 4.c4 a6 5.Bxd7+ Bxd7 6.d4 b5 7.b3 e6 8.dxe6 Bxe6 9.d5 Bg4 10.f3 Bf5 11.Ne2 Bc5 12.Bb2 Qe7 13.Bd4 Bxd4 14.Qxd4 0-0 15.Kf2 Rad8 16.Nbc3 b4 17.Ng3 Qd7 18.Nce2 c6 19.dxc6 Qxc6 20.Nxf5 Qe6 21.Qf4 1-0

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Further Reading

Center Counter Defense : The Portuguesevariation -- Selby Anderson

The Scandinavian -- John Emms

The Modern Scandinavian -- Matthius Wahls

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A Brief Survey of the Openings

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