Scandinavian Defense: Bronstein Variation
Play any move on the board to explore from there, or step through the line with ‹ › and the arrow keys.
Statistics from Lichess
384,836 games: White 45.2% / Draw 6.1% / Black 48.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 86,08386K | ||
| 61,95062K | ||
| 58,81159K | ||
| 50,90851K | ||
| 42,68343K | ||
| 26,81827K | ||
| 23,90924K | ||
| 21,66922K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.13 White is better
Best play: 6. g3 e6 7. Bg2 Bd7 8. Bf4 Qb6 9. O-O Bc6 10. a4 Nbd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 51% under 1400, 50% at 2200 and up and 42% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 34K | |
| 1400–1799 | 163K | |
| 1800–2199 | 213K | |
| 2200 and up | 69K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,427 |
Master games
- Giri, A. – Nakamura, H.
- Jakovenko, D. – Gashimov, V.
- Svidler, P. – Tiviakov, S.
- Svidler, P. – Tiviakov, S.
- Cheparinov, I. – Tiviakov, S.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Scandinavian Defense: Bronstein Variation (ECO B01, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Scandinavian Defense: Gubinsky-Melts Defense, reached after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Qxd5 3. Nc3 Qd6 4. d4 Nf6 5. Nf3 a6 (5 moves).
In 384,836 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.2%, Black 48.6% and 6.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Bc4, in 22% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
Write a description or report a mistake
How to play against the Scandinavian Defense: Bronstein Variation
6. g3 scores best for White: 54.1%, with White winning 51.0% and Black 42.9% of 62K games. The most played answer, 6. Bc4, scores lowest: 46.2% in 86K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. g3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Scandinavian Defense: Bronstein Variation peaked in 2020 at 0.019% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.013% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.012% | 4,204 |
| 2017 | 0.012% | 6,391 |
| 2018 | 0.012% | 9,220 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 15,446 |
| 2020 | 0.019% | 56,318 |
| 2021 | 0.018% | 69,262 |
| 2022 | 0.015% | 55,879 |
| 2023 | 0.015% | 55,308 |
| 2024 | 0.014% | 49,483 |
| 2025 | 0.013% | 43,572 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.013% | 14,196 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scandinavian Defense: Bronstein Variation (B01)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-bronstein-variation