Caissa Codex
C45

Scotch Game: Gottschall Variation

Chess diagram: Scotch Game: Gottschall Variation after 12…Nb4

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Statistics from Lichess

23 games: White 30.4% / Draw 8.7% / Black 60.9%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
1111
77
33
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Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026

Engine evaluation

−2.44 Black is clearly better

Best play: 13. cxb4 Qxb2 14. Bd3 Qxa1 15. O-O Qf6 16. Qxa7 Bd7 17. Nd2 Qe5

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Scotch Game: Gottschall Variation (ECO C45, Open Games) is a variation of the Scotch Game: Classical Variation, Blackburne Attack, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Bc5 5. Be3 Qf6 6. c3 Nge7 7. Qd2 d5 8. Nb5 Bxe3 9. Qxe3 O-O 10. Nxc7 Rb8 11. Nxd5 Nxd5 12. exd5 Nb4 (12 moves).

In 23 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 30.4%, Black 60.9% and 8.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 13. cxb4, in 48% of those games. That is too few games for the percentages to mean much.

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Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Scotch Game: Gottschall Variation (C45)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-gottschall-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-gottschall-variation