Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation, Gipslis Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
890,953 games: White 51.1% / Draw 5.3% / Black 43.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 511,186511K | ||
| 145,562146K | ||
| 85,55486K | ||
| 69,48269K | ||
| 25,24925K | ||
| 20,17220K | ||
| 11,19011K | ||
| 9,0889,088 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 2, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.80 White is better
Best play: 5. c4 Bxf3 6. Qxf3 Nb4 7. Qb3 e5 8. d5 a5 9. a3 N4a6
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 45% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 38% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 50K | |
| 1400–1799 | 407K | |
| 1800–2199 | 557K | |
| 2200 and up | 53K | |
| Masters, over the board | 594 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Short, N. D.
- Carlsen, M. – Adhiban, B.
- Anand, V. – Kamsky, G.
- Polgar, J. – Kamsky, G.
- Leko, P. – Kamsky, G.
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: Modern Variation, Gipslis Variation (ECO B01, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Scandinavian Defense: Marshall Variation, reached after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Nxd5 4. Nf3 Bg4 (4 moves).
In 890,953 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.1%, Black 43.6% and 5.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Be2, in 57% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation, Gipslis Variation
5. c4 scores best for White: 55.9%, with White winning 53.4% and Black 41.7% of 146K games. The most played, 5. Be2, scores 54.3% in 511K games, and 5. Bc4 scores lowest: 50.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 5. c4.
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: Modern Variation, Gipslis Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.038% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.027%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.027% | 9,766 |
| 2017 | 0.036% | 19,762 |
| 2018 | 0.039% | 30,778 |
| 2019 | 0.036% | 44,358 |
| 2020 | 0.032% | 92,701 |
| 2021 | 0.03% | 118,041 |
| 2022 | 0.033% | 124,105 |
| 2023 | 0.035% | 131,450 |
| 2024 | 0.037% | 132,496 |
| 2025 | 0.038% | 130,317 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.039% | 42,485 |
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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation, Gipslis Variation (B01)”. Lichess data as of 2 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-modern-variation-gipslis-variation