The Zero Theory Scandinavian

Introduction

Hello, chess friends!

Today, I will share a zero-theory version of the Scandinavian Defence, which has been employed by some strong Grandmasters (particularly GM Aleksandr Shimanov) in online games.

It runs as follows:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/NpFNMhaN

(I realise the Lichess Studies are no longer adequately embedded in Lichess posts. If you know a fix to this, please message me).

In this 3...Qe5 variation (known as the 'Patzer Variation' when Black plays 4...c6, and the 'Shimanov Variation' when Black plays 4...Bg4), Black loses some time moving his queen early in the game, but in return, obtains quite a solid and flexible position, with a lot less theory than in the main lines of 3...Qa5, or the alternative approaches like 3...Qd6, 3...Qd8 or 2...Nf6.

The Caveat And Some Good News

Of course, the disadvantage is that White will obtain a significant advantage out of the opening if he plays correctly. However, with most Grandmasters failing to prove this in online blitz, this new approach to the Scandinavian is a reasonable gamble against unprepared opponents.

I previously touched on this variation in an old Lichess post, but I have expanded my coverage with a detailed training video on this 3...Qe5 variation, which you can find embedded below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79-Fp0PWUQo

If you're enjoying the video, it would mean a lot if you could like the video. By subscribing to the channel (and setting the Notifications to 'All'), you can ensure you won't miss out on any of my future training videos on the platform.

Inferior 4th Moves

For those of you who prefer written content (or want to revise the content in the training video), I have included all the games in this post and a separate Study - although you will need to watch the training video for my full explanations.

The first thing to note is that the 4.Nge2 retreat is too passive to seriously threaten Black, although my response in this bullet game on Lichess was too ambitious in retrospect:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/TB4Y9IFN

At lower levels, you'll face 4.Qe2 (offering an exchange of queens) a fair bit, but it is well met by 4...Qxe2 5.Bxe2 Nf6, followed by playing the usual Scandinavian setup (...Bf5/...e6/...c6/...Nbd7/...Be7(d6)/...0-0 for comfortable equality. I misplayed it in the game, grabbing a poisoned pawn on c2, but managed to win:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/310Uk1Z4

Introducing The Patzer Variation (4.Be2 c6)

In this post (and the training video above), I give you two ways to play this 'zero theory' version of the Scandinavian: the way I used to play it in the 2010s when I wanted to avoid theory and the more modern approach popularised by Shimanov.

The advantage of the 4...c6 move order is that it can effectively be played as a system opening - we play ...Qc7, ...Bf5, ...e6, ...Nf6, ...Nbd7, ...Bd6 and ...0-0, just like in a normal Scandinavian. If White doesn't challenge Black's setup relatively quickly, Black will be doing fine, like in the following game of mine:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/K6CnRsB1

Some readers will wonder why I am including games against much lower-rated players. However, I believe most readers will find it valuable to see how this opening plays out against players closer to their rating (rather than just looking at master games).

Another good example of the above principle (that Black is fine if he completes development due to the misplaced c3-knight) is shown in the next game, where Black is already fighting for an advantage after 11 moves:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/3zILP7TQ

The Problem Line

However, if White is well prepared, he can cause problems by playing a quick d5 break.

The game sees White blunder a bishop and then resign, but pay attention to the 8.d5! note, where White obtains a clear advantage:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/WtewhV3L

I find it very unlikely that your opponent will find this 8.d5 pawn sacrifice (which our last move appears to prevent) unless they prepared it beforehand with the computer. However, this motif (along with the more 'human' alternative of 7.Ne5) is why I recently switched to the Shimanov Variation.

In a recent game (July 2023), I tried changing my move order to 6...Nf6 instead of 6...Bf5 for some added flexibility. This has the advantage of neutralising d5 and giving us the extra option of 7.0-0 Bg4, as I played in the game below—however, 7.Ne5! is still quite strong for White, as I demonstrate below:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/95CrWbJr

To conclude, 4...c6 can still work as a surprise weapon, but you'll suffer significantly against prepared opponents (or Grandmasters who might find these ideas over the board).

Introducing The Shimanov Variation

Nowadays, the primary follow-up after 3...Qe5 4.Be2 is 4...Bg4, the Shimanov Variation. With this approach, Black again attempts to lose some time but manages to exchange the light-squared bishops in return, making White's space advantage somewhat less significant.

While this initially looks like a 'meme' opening, Shimanov has twice beaten Caruana (and many other strong GMs) with this system in Black, proving that White should take it seriously in his preparation. The reality is that most players have yet to hear of this line or assume it's easy to refute over the board due to its rarity.

On the other hand, a common tendency is for players to start making mistakes on the very first moves after they leave their opening knowledge. The next three games demonstrate this point.

The first game, with the weak 5.Nf3 demonstrates the most obvious point of 4..Bg4:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/KgOfgTpk

My second game with 5...Bg4 saw my opponent play the odd 5.h3, reaching the main line down a tempo. I was able to leverage that extra tempo for faster pressure against the d4-pawn with ...Nc6, soon winning a pawn and the game:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/8l7gG7sR

Finally, my best win ever in the 3...Qe5 Scandinavian (against a 3100-rated bullet player on Lichess) came against the slightly odd 5.f3, which leads to a poor man's version of the 3...Qa5 4.d4 Nf6 5.Bd2 Bg4 variation. Granted, I could have improved my play with the simple 11...Ne7, intending to use f5 for my knight:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/cGuvyUpX

White Plays 5.d4 - Sidelines

Of course, most of your opponents will play 5.d4 Bxe2 6.Ngxe2 Qa5, when the exchange of light-squared bishops makes it harder for White to effectively target our queen (as the Bd2/Bc4/Nd5 setup is no longer available).

This didn't stop one of my opponents from playing 7.Bd2, preparing a discovered attack on my queen. Although I won the game, I could have responded better, and I would recommend going for 7...Nf6 8.Ne4 Qd5! to pressure the d4 and g2-pawns in the spirit of a much-improved Bronstein-Larsen Caro-Kann:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/2XzQfRZn

In my most recent game with the Shimanov Variation (April 30, 2024), my opponent played the odd 7.Be3, which fails to exert any pressure on Black's position. I went on to grind my opponent down from an equal endgame:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/N92OTG2J

Some of you may be wondering - aren't these endgames too drawish? As I explained in the training video, there are ways to create imbalances - most commonly, by creating a bishop vs. knight imbalance in the position. In the game, the creative ...gxf6 exchange also helped to unbalance the play, as did advancing my h-pawn to trade off my isolated pawn and loosen up White's kingside later.

The Shimanov Variation - Main Line

Let's now explore the main line of the Shimanov Variation, where White plays 7.0-0, to which Black responds 7...Nf6 (as 7...e6 8.d5! is too strong).

Our first game sees Caruana anticipate the idea of ...Qh5 with 8.Ng3, but the problem with this move is that after 8...Nc6! and long castling, Black obtains intense pressure against the d4-pawn. Shimanov impressively outplayed the current world no.2 in a great game that I also shared in my old Lichess post, but this time, I added some brief analyses and colour commentary:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/hvR642Vn

Caruana tried to thwart Shimanov's setup with 8.d5 in an earlier game between the same two players. Still, as the game showed, the rising 'queenside majority' structure (that also often arises from openings like the Alapin Sicilian, Tarrasch French, Slav and QGD) is fine for Black:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/o89ZdKNb

An excellent practical point about playing systems like the Shimanov Variation is that it leaves you more training time for skills like tactics, calculation, strategic play and endgames, which are likely to have a more significant overall impact on your immediate results than memorising long theoretical variation.

However, there is an objective problem with Black's setup that you should know about to make the most informed decision...

The Problem Line - 8.b4!

In the position after 7...Nf6, we learned from the last couple of games that if Black consolidates his position with ...e6 (and later ...Nc6/...0-0-0 or the more standard ...c6/...Nbd7/...Be7/...0-0 setup), he has absolutely no problems in the arising middlegames. This means that time is of the essence, and White needs to play quite directly to prove a durable advantage.

I should have explained in the training video that 8.b4! is not a true pawn sacrifice - 8...Qxb4 9.Rb1 followed by 10.Rxb7 regains the pawn with interest (demonstrating the one disadvantage of developing our c8-bishop so rapidly). Fortunately, 8.b4 is not a natural move, so you can only expect it against prepared opponents.

In a game against the former Argentinian no.1 (now representing Spain), GM Alan Pichot, Shimanov played 8...Qh5 quickly obtained a fine endgame, soon outplaying his experienced opponent:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/3nxsfGGZ

Our final illustrative game, played by another exponent of the Shimanov Variation (GM Mikhail Bryakin, a Soviet Grandmaster who coaches chess in Thailand), features his opponent, the creative Turkish GM Sanal, playing the critical 9.Qd3!. However, his immediate follow-up was not the best, and Black outplayed his opponent by leveraging the weakness of White's d4-pawn (a common theme in the arising middlegames):

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/LJaY3ho3

While this post was biased toward showing only Black wins (not including White wins in this variation), we can see how the Shimanov Variation can succeed even against GM opposition in faster time controls. Even if they know the engine's first line, we can still achieve a vaguely playable position with optimal play.

The Next Steps

In this post (and the training video), I've given you everything you need to know to start playing the 3...Qe5 Scandinavian with confidence. Applying the ideas shown here gives you a good chance of surprising and outplaying your opponents in the ensuing middle games.

This post may have inspired you to look deeper into the Scandinavian - whether that's furthering your understanding of the positions toward true mastery or mastering other variations of the Scandinavian (such as the main line with 3...Qa5).

To achieve this as efficiently and effectively as possible, I recommend checking out my Scandinavian course, 'Play The Strongest Scandinavian'.

You can get it at a discount ($50 off) here: https://max-illingworth.mykajabi.com/offers/ZBLeXXoa.

A Creative Solution To 3.Nf3

To conclude this post, I'll share a creative solution to 3.Nf3 that I developed today. That way, whether you invest with me or continue enjoying my free stuff, you'll be ready for this tricky alternative, preparing the Be2/0-0/d4/c4/Nc3 setup that avoids the strategic problems we saw in the previous games. (In fact, I've recommended 3.Nf3 previously in my 1.e4 White repertoire courses).

While there's no substitute for 3...Bg4 (followed by ...Nc6 and ...0-0-0, maximising the pressure against d4) If Black wants to equalise, I find 3... Bf5!? to be an interesting alternative. It sets an immediate trap and leads to quite creative play (with virtually no theory).

The first point is that 4.d4 is already a mistake, as after 4...Qe4, White has the unpleasant choice between losing a pawn to ... Qxc2 or losing the right to castle after 5.Kd2. (My past chess coach, GM Ian Rogers, first shared this trick with me in 2011).

But even after better play with 4.Be2 e6 5.0-0 Nf6 6.d4, we can play 6...Nc6 7.c4 Qd7, setting up counterplay against the d4-pawn with 8.Nc3 Rd8 9.Be3 Be7 followed by ...0-0. White is objectively a bit better, but Black obtains counterplay with ideas such as ...Ne4/...Bf6 will exchange some minor pieces and increase the pressure against d4.

Here's my analysis:

https://lichess.org/study/COpfMSXq/LbGw2GtY

Have Your Say

What do you think about the 3? Qe5 Scandinavian? Is there a particular game, move or insight that stood out to you?

Let us know in the comments thread.