After e4 e5,Nf3 Nc6,d4 ed,Nxd4...what is best for black at least 5 full moves?

Question

Please be detailed looking for best moves against all of white's best moves.

Answer 1

You are facing the Scotch Opening.

If you can get to the 4 knights (1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 ed 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nxc6 bxc6) is good.

He might try the Mieses line (same 4 Nxd4 Nf6 5 Nxc6 bxc6 6 e5!?).  The antidote involves 6 ... Qe7! 7 Qe2

White should have gone with one of the Scotch Gambits  (includes the Goring Gambit), and he will in future games.

Edited

Although Qh4 and Bc5 are playable, um, why?  Go to the 4 knights variation that killed the Scotch in the 1920s.  Don't bother with the stuff from the 1890s.

Answer 2

This is the Scotch Game. It's not the 4 Knights Scotch unless all four knights are out. White can play 4. Bc4, or 4. c3 for example and avoid the 4 Knights..

If I were you, I'd play Steinitz's system. After white plays 4. Nxd4, black plays 4....Qh4. This practially compels white to give up his e pawn or get a bad position. This line is very sharp, but it means black is dictating terms, not white.

For other lines you can go to http://www.eudesign.com/chessops/scot-03...  , an interactive page where you can learn the best black replies to the first 10 or so moves of the Scotch.

Good luck.

Answer 3

This is the four knights opening, scotch variation. It's actually a very well studied variation and usually runs something like this:

1.e4 e5

2. Nf3 Nc6

3. d4 exd4

4. Nxd4 Nf6

5. Nc3 Bb4

6. Nxc6 bxc6

7. Bd3 d5

8. exd5 cxd5

9. 0-0 0-0

10. Bg5 Be6

11. Ne2 h6

12. Bh4 Bg4

13. c3 Bd6

14. Qc2 c5

15. c4 d4

16. f3 Bd7

and there ends the opening, entering the middle game.