I like the Scandinavian Variation of the Alekhine Defense (1.e4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5). One variation is 3.e5 d4 4.exf6 dxc3 5.fxg7 cxd2+ 6.Qxd2 Qxd2+ 7.Bxd2 Bxg7 8.c3. This is a drawish position too.
Another variation is 3.exd5 Nxd5 4.Nxd5 Qxd5 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 Nc6 7.h3 Bxg4 8.Bxg4 Qe5+ 9.Qe2 Qxe2+ 10.Bxe2 Nd4 11.Bd3 0-0-0 12.0-0 e6 13.c3? Nf3+ 14.gxf3 Rxd3 and white has some pretty messed up pawns "guarding" the king. 😀
Another line that you may or may not have heard of goes: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 e6 3.dxe6 Bxe6. I personally don't like this line because white should not take the gambit, instead white should play 3.d4, ignoring blacks threat, then 3...exd5 4.c4 getting a good attack. Other lines are 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6 which again, is a delayed form of the previous line. White should still ignore this and play 3.d4 followed by 4.c4 which will again be better for white.
Personally I think that 1...d5 is not the best move, and if you want to play good chess you should play the best moves which is probably either 1...e5 or 1...c5.
Against 1...d5 I don't think I have ever lost... hmmm... maybe once or twice, but I have faced it many many times, over 12 times, and I have only lost to it maybe twice... so it can't be that good.
Some other lines have went: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 c6 which is just a transposition into a carro-cann defence where white should play 3.d4, going into the pannov-bottnivik attack after 4.c4 which is a powerful weapon for white.
Getting back to the line you mentioned: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 I have mostly played 3.Nc3 against it at which point I have seen replies most commonly being 3...Qa5 but the queen doesn't seem to do much here and is usually moved again later in the middlegame to a more useful square... Other lines I have played are: 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nf3 or 3.d4 which are both good.
When I started playing again recently (after a ten year layoff) I played a lot against a computer program which seemed to really like the Scandinavian with 3..Qd6. I always thought the Scandinavian must be a bit questionable because it violates the old rule "don't bring your queen out too early", but I kept getting into trouble against the Qd6 line. Probably there is a good antidote, but against natural play black gets strong counter play - castling queen side gives immediate and strong pressure on the d-file for example.
My guess is that it is a dubious defence at master level, but for a club player it may offer good practical chances (not least because your opponent may be unprepared and may underestimate the dangers) and a lively game. I'm thinking of doing more research and maybe taking it up.
