Scandinavian Defense: Panov Transfer
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Statistics from Lichess
2,696,102 games: White 43.1% / Draw 4.7% / Black 52.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 2,001,9112M | ||
| 351,073351K | ||
| 251,182251K | ||
| 27,67328K | ||
| 26,96127K | ||
| 13,77414K | ||
| 6,0706,070 | ||
| 5,4385,438 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 3, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.18 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. d4 cxd5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. Nf3 Bg4 7. Be3 e6 8. c5 Be7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for Black: Black scores 54% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 43% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 318K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1.4M | |
| 1800–2199 | 1.6M | |
| 2200 and up | 125K | |
| Masters, over the board | 846 |
Master games
- Artemiev, V. – Korobov, A.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Dreev, A.
- Gelfand, B. – Dreev, A.
- Polgar, J. – Dreev, A.
- Ivanchuk, V. – Ehlvest, J.
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 26, 2026
Overview
Scandinavian Defense: Panov Transfer (ECO B01, Semi-Open Games) is a variation of the Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation, reached after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. c4 c6 (3 moves).
In 2,696,102 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 43.1%, Black 52.3% and 4.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. dxc6, in 74% 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: Panov Transfer
4. d4 scores best for White: 54.9%, with White winning 52.0% and Black 42.3% of 251K games. The most played answer, 4. dxc6, scores lowest: 43.6% in 2M games. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. d4.
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: Panov Transfer has gained ground since 2016: 0.11% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.094%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.094% | 33,445 |
| 2017 | 0.11% | 60,797 |
| 2018 | 0.11% | 84,565 |
| 2019 | 0.1% | 129,784 |
| 2020 | 0.092% | 270,265 |
| 2021 | 0.094% | 367,217 |
| 2022 | 0.1% | 381,228 |
| 2023 | 0.11% | 395,997 |
| 2024 | 0.11% | 398,199 |
| 2025 | 0.11% | 398,027 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.12% | 127,007 |
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: Panov Transfer (B01)”. Lichess data as of 3 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-panov-transfer