Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Melbourne Shuffle Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
11,200 games: White 55.8% / Draw 6.8% / Black 37.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 10,42810K | ||
| 635635 | ||
| 5757 | ||
| 3030 | ||
| 1111 | ||
| 1010 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 88 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.53 White is slightly better
Best play: 6... a6 7. Ba4 b5 8. Bb3 Nb6 9. Nge2 a5 10. a3 a4 11. Ba2
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Melbourne Shuffle 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. f3 Bf5 5. Bb5+ Nbd7 6. Nc3 (6 moves).
In 11,200 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.8%, Black 37.4% and 6.8% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…a6, in 93% 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, Melbourne Shuffle Variation
The most played answer, 6…a6, also scores best for Black: 41.2%, with Black winning 37.8% and White 55.3% of 10K games. Of the main answers, 6…e6 scores lowest: 36.1%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…a6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scandinavian Defense: Portuguese Gambit, Melbourne Shuffle Variation (B01)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scandinavian-defense-portuguese-gambit-melbourne-shuffle-variation