Originally posted by cmsMaster2 Games in progress:
Center-Counter or Scandinavian.
Game 3581897
Me playing against it as white
Game 3597681
Trying my luck with the Center-Counter as black
I think it's very under-rated for black & can lead to early tactical complications & sustained attacking pressure.
Originally posted by el gilThat just transposes into a french defence advance... 1.e4 d5 2.e5 e6 3.d4
In my opinion the best way to destroy the Scandinavian is 1.e4 d5 2.e5. It leads to 2...Nc6 3.d4 e6 4.Nf3 This gives the White a strong pawn center, and the e5 pawn puts pressure and disturbs the development of Black's pieces
or else, we have another line... 1.e4 d5 2.e5 d4 3.Nf3 c5 which doesn't seem to do much for white either but give black some space... I'd rather play exd5... I always do that.
Originally posted by el gilThat's actually the worst response to the Scandi besides just allowing black to take on e4 for free! Note that in your line, you have black play 2..Nc6? (terrible) and 3..e6? (also bad). What Black should be doing is transposing into a French with his light squared bishop out of the pawn chain, which is really the only problem with the French in the first place. A possible (and more accurate) line is:
In my opinion the best way to destroy the Scandinavian is 1.e4 d5 2.e5. It leads to 2...Nc6 3.d4 e6 4.Nf3 This gives the White a strong pawn center, and the e5 pawn puts pressure and disturbs the development of Black's pieces
1. e4 d5 2. e5 c5! 3. c3 Nc6 4. d4 cxd4 5. cxd4 Bf5! 6. Nf3 e6 7. Nc3 Bg4 8. Be3 Qb6
Note how black only plays ..Nc6 after ..c5, not blocking his c-pawn and allowing him to pressure d4, and also note how he plays ..Bf5 AND THEN ..e6, allowing the bishop great squares. Another common idea in these types of positions is that even though Black plays ..Bf5 (he just wants to get it into play so that he can then play ..e6), he can play ..Bg4 a couple moves later so this bishop also serves in the attack on the d4 pawn, he's just waiting for White to play Nf3 at some point. Hope this clears up the issue, and also explains why 2. exd5 is really the only move against the Center Counter.