Classical Game Recap: Struggling in the Scotch Game
You can't play passively against this opening.
It’s round 4 of the Sacramento Chess Club Team Championship. We are paired against a team of kids, all rated between 800 and 1100. My opponent is rated just under a thousand. Despite the rating mismatch, I had a difficult time in this game and was reminded why the Scotch can generate such insidious pressure if Black doesn’t play actively.
Time Control: 60 minutes with 15 second increment per move.
White: (998 USCF)
Black: Me (1658 USCF)
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Nxd4
This is the main line of the Scotch Game. White could play the Scotch Gambit with 4.Bc4, and this is the typical line I see youngsters play.
4…Nf6
This is known as the Schmidt Variation. I much prefer this to 4…Bc5 (aka the Classical Variation), probably for similar reasons that I prefer the Two Knights Defense in the Italian Game as opposed to the Giuoco Piano — immediate counterplay and pressure on e5, preventing Black from going for active ideas with a move like Bc4.
5.Nxc6
Continuing down the main line. The damage to Black’s structure essentially forces Black to play actively. This is similar in some respects to the Exchange Ruy Lopez (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bb5 a6 4.Bxc6!?), but I think it may actually be stronger, because White retains the bishop pair, and prevents Black from getting an open position (5…dxc6 6.Qxd8+ Kxd8 is just miserable, whereas in the Exchange Variation Black can and should play 4…dxc6 since there is no immediate queen trade and the open position favors Black’s bishop pair).
5…bxc6 6.Bd3
For some reason, I was surprised to see this move, but it’s not abnormal. What I usually see is 6.e5, after which Black stays equal with 6…Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6! However, I was lulled by temporary unfamiliarity into a dubious move.
6…Bc5?
The main line, and thematic in these Scotch mainlines, is 6…d5 7.exd5 cxd5. For some reason I was unduly bothered by the idea of allowing that bishop an open line to h7. In truth, this isn’t sufficient for White to have an advantage, but because of that I chose a development scheme that winds me in a lot of trouble.
7.Bg5?!
White could just play 7.e5 here after which 7…Qe7?! doesn’t work due to 8.O-O! Nd5, at which point White has many reasonable moves (Nd2, c4, a3, Re1, Qh5 are Stockfish’s favorites). The lack of space kills black’s central play, the open position favors White’s bishops, and the Knight isn’t stable on d5.
7…h6 8.Bh4
8…Qe7?!
This causes future problems on the e-file and doesn’t resolve the pin in the first place. I should have castled, or otherwise played the more-consistent 8…g5 9.Bg3 d5.
9.f4!?
My opponent spent some time on this sharpening move. Objectively it’s poor, but I found it very bold and didn’t respond in the best way. After 9.Nd2 or 9.O-O, White would keep a decent advantage.
9…d6??
Far too passive. Instead of coming up with my own play, I reacted to my opponent’s, because the move e5 just looked very strong. However, an idea I saw later in the game would work just fine here: 9…g5!, breaking the pin, after which Black is clearly better. For instance: 10.fxg5 hxg5 11.Bxg5 Qe5 12.Qc1 Nxe4. Black threatens discoveries on the white king, which cannot castle.
10.Nc3 a5 11.Qe2 Bd4
Here I was trying to relieve the pressure in the center by defending e5.
12.Na4
12…h5??
I chose this move after some time trying to figure out how to response to the coming move c3, at which point the e5 move is genuinely threatened, and try to trap the White king in the center with the move Bg4. My opponent refutes this pretty quickly.
Instead, decently strong was 12…g5 13.fxg5 hxg5 14.Bxg5 Rg8, which is perhaps slightly better for Black. However, I was still struggling to enter an active mindset and was too busy responding to my opponent’s play to counter with my own.
13.h3!
No more Bg4.
13…Qe6
At least I am out of the pin, but I am still in dire straits.
14.c3 Ba7 15.e5 dxe5?!
15…Nd5 was more resilient and active.
16.Qxe5?!
Finally some relief. After this, I was able to relax, but I didn’t have a lot of time left on my clock. I spent 40 minutes up to this point, so only 20 minutes left. My opponent and I had about the same amount of time on the clocks.
16…Qxe5+ 17.fxe5 Nd7?!
17…Nd5, again, is more active.
18.Bg3?! h4 19.Bf4 Rh5
20.e6! Ne5!
Obviously 20…fxe6?? 21.Bg6+ is extremely resignable for Black.
21.exf7+ Kxf7 22.Be2 Rf5 23.Rf1
23…Ke6
My opponent has been making numerous tactical threats and playing the endgame well. 23…g5 loses to 24.Bxe5! when Black cannot recapture due to the pin.
24.Rd1 g5 25.Bxe5 Rxe5
Trying to play for a win and actively as possible.
26.Rf8??
Finally, my opponent cracks and blunders a piece.
26…Ba6!?
26…Rxe2 27.Kxe2 Ba6+ 28.Ke1 Rxf8 was simpler.
27.Rxa8??
27.Nc5+ Bxc5 28.Rxa8 Rxe2+ 29.Kf1 Rf2+ 30.Ke1 would extend the game, albeit not in any pleasant way for White.
27…Rxe2+ 28.Kf1
28…Rxb2+?!
This is winning, but misses a forced mate after 28…Re4+ 29.c4 Bxc4+ 40.Rd3 Bxd3#
29.Ke1?
29.Rd3 Bxd3+ 30.Ke1 Bf2+ 31.Kd1 - my friend (and guest author) Aaron pointed this line out after the game. Black is way winning, but at least White is fighting on.
29…Bf2#
Exhale. Sigh of relief.
The main takeaways from this game:
I must play active in the Scotch to have any chance of a playable middlegame. Even if I sacrifice material, this is worth it compared to the trouble I had during the game.
1000-rated players are no slouches! It took until the transition to the endgame for my opponent to make a clear strategic error I could capitalize on (in the form of the premature queen trade). Until that point I felt I had gone completely wrong, and it was only in the last 20 minutes of the game that I felt I had any chance to win.
Full game in a GIF:
