Scandinavian Defence
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| Moves | 1.e4 d5 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| ECO | B01 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Origin | Fictional game Castellvi vs. Vinyoles, Valencia 1475 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Named after | Scandinavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Parent | King's Pawn Game | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Synonym(s) | Center Counter Defense | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Scandinavian Defense (or Center Counter Defense) is a chess opening characterized by the moves:
The Center Counter Defense is one of the oldest recorded openings, first recorded as being played between Francesc de Castellví and Narcís Vinyoles in Valencia in 1475 in what may be the first recorded game of modern chess, and being mentioned by Lucena in 1497. It is one of the oldest asymmetric defenses to 1.e4, along with the French Defence.
Analysis by Scandinavian masters, including Ludvig Collijn, in the late 19th century showed it is playable for Black; Collijn also played the line with success. Although the Center Counter Defense has never enjoyed widespread popularity among top-flight chess players, Joseph Henry Blackburne and Jacques Mieses often played it, and greatly developed its theory in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It was an occasional choice in this era for top players such as Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch, Rudolph Spielmann, and Dr. Savielly Tartakower.Alexander Alekhine used it to draw against World Champion Emanuel Lasker at St. Petersburg 1914, and future World Champion José Raúl Capablanca won twice with it at New York 1915.
A regular user from the 1950s onwards was Yugoslav IM Nikola Karaklajic, but a lengthy period of non-support by top players ended by the 1960s, when former World Championship finalist David Bronstein and Women's World Champion Nona Gaprindashvili played it occasionally. Danish Grandmaster Bent Larsen, a four-time World Championship Candidate, played it occasionally from the 1960s onwards; he defeated World Champion Anatoly Karpov with it at Montreal 1979, spurring a rise in popularity. The popular name also began to switch from "Center Counter Defense" to "Scandinavian Defense" around this time. Danish Grandmaster Curt Hansen is also considered an expert in the opening.Australian Grandmaster Ian Rogers has adopted it frequently starting in the 1980s. In 1995, the Scandinavian Defense made its first appearance in a World Chess Championship match, in the 14th game of the PCA final at New York City. Viswanathan Anand as Black obtained an excellent position using the opening against Garry Kasparov, although Kasparov won the game.
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