I am looking for a new reply against 1...e5 to play OTB, and am considering playing the Scotch game. This years "season" is starting next week here, so I am attempting to learn a few new lines. Up till now, I have always played the Ponziani.
What do you guys think? Is the Scotch playable OTB? I have a book on it (Starting out, the scotch game, by John emms), but most of the lines that are suggested lead to a long line of exchanges that leave the position quite equal.
I've played a few blitz games with it, and here is one "trap" that I have caught a couple people with. Surprisingly, there are no games with it in my database, and it is not suggested in the book. Your thoughts?
I think the best thing for black to do in this line is to avoid it by playing 5...Bc5. However, that position seems pretty equal to me. I have analyzed a few lines, and it seems white has an advantage as soon a black takes the e4 pawn.
I agree with the above poster said. Also, any opening is "good enough" at club level. It may be even better for the less popular openings because some club players may be highly "booked up" on certain openings. I like to let the game be decided by tactics and endings and not some opening trap I fell into because I did not know that 10 moves down the road my 6th move would destroy me.
Just my $0.02
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- 16 Feb 07
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The Scotch is a fine opening OTB. White gets very pleasant play in a lot of lines you see against weaker players (1 e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nxd4 for example) and some GMs even play it regularly. Some lines have kind of deep theory that it helps to know (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6 5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5 Qe7, for example), but a lot of lines are pretty easy to play (1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4 Qf6 5. c3, for example).