Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Classical Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
332,627 games: White 46.4% / Draw 5.2% / Black 48.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 245,780246K | ||
| Scandinavian Defense: Modern Variation, Gipslis Variation | 55,10655K | |
| 11,48111K | ||
| 8,9028,902 | ||
| 6,7036,703 | ||
| 1,5741,574 | ||
| 1,0481,048 | ||
| 419419 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.48 White is slightly better
Best play: 4... Bxf3 5. Qxf3 Qxd5 6. Qxd5 Nxd5 7. Nd2 e6 8. g3 c5 9. dxc5
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 White: White scores 54% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 58% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 6,915 | |
| 1400–1799 | 80K | |
| 1800–2199 | 229K | |
| 2200 and up | 43K | |
| Masters, over the board | 310 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Short, N. D.
- Yu Yangyi – Ye Rongguang
- Hou Yifan – Muzychuk, A.
- Bologan, V. – Vlassov, N.
- Shevchenko, K. – Theodorou, N.
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: Portuguese Gambit, Classical Variation (ECO B01, Semi-Open Games) is a gambit in the Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, reached after 1. e4 d5 2. exd5 Nf6 3. d4 Bg4 4. Nf3 (4 moves).
In 332,627 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 46.4%, Black 48.4% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 4…Qxd5, 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: Portuguese Gambit, Classical Variation
The most played answer, 4…Qxd5, also scores best for Black: 52.9%, with Black winning 50.3% and White 44.5% of 246K games. Of the main answers, 4…Nxd5 scores lowest: 45.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 4…Bxf3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black'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: Portuguese Gambit, Classical Variation has gained ground since 2016: 0.014% of Lichess games in 2025, up from 0.0091%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0091% | 3,254 |
| 2017 | 0.013% | 7,426 |
| 2018 | 0.015% | 11,894 |
| 2019 | 0.012% | 15,397 |
| 2020 | 0.011% | 32,768 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 44,246 |
| 2022 | 0.013% | 49,910 |
| 2023 | 0.013% | 50,177 |
| 2024 | 0.013% | 47,938 |
| 2025 | 0.014% | 48,212 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.015% | 16,080 |
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: Portuguese Gambit, Classical Variation (B01)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-portuguese-gambit-classical-variation