Scotch Game: Modern Defense
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Statistics from Lichess
323,154 games: White 44.2% / Draw 5.1% / Black 50.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 97,93998K | ||
| 76,68677K | ||
| 60,23960K | ||
| 36,96937K | ||
| 11,79212K | ||
| 9,0669,066 | ||
| 5,6965,696 | ||
| 5,5635,563 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 20, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.72 White is better
Best play: 6. Be2 Qxe4 7. Nb5 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Kd8 9. O-O Nf6 10. Re1 Qd5
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 58% under 1400, 47% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 35K | |
| 1400–1799 | 166K | |
| 1800–2199 | 192K | |
| 2200 and up | 24K | |
| Masters, over the board | 154 |
Master games
- Kasimdzhanov, R. – Vladimirov, E.
- Vescovi, G. P. – Rodriguez Vila, A.
- Azmaiparashvili, Z. – Hector, J.
- Olafsson, H. – Hector, J.
- Reinaldo Castineira, R. – Golod, V.
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
Scotch Game: Modern Defense (ECO C45, Open Games) is a variation of the Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 5. Nc3 Bb4 (5 moves).
In 323,154 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 44.2%, Black 50.8% and 5.1% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nxc6, in 30% 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 Scotch Game: Modern Defense
6. Be2 scores best for White: 61.7%, with White winning 59.7% and Black 36.3% of 60K games. The most played answer, 6. Nxc6, scores lowest: 43.0% in 98K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. Be2.
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 Scotch Game: Modern Defense has lost ground since 2016: 0.01% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.015% (its peak: 0.017% in 2018).
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.015% | 5,272 |
| 2017 | 0.016% | 8,910 |
| 2018 | 0.017% | 13,476 |
| 2019 | 0.016% | 19,394 |
| 2020 | 0.014% | 41,290 |
| 2021 | 0.013% | 49,678 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 45,338 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 45,485 |
| 2024 | 0.011% | 40,970 |
| 2025 | 0.01% | 36,395 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.01% | 11,480 |
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. “Scotch Game: Modern Defense (C45)”. Lichess data as of 20 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-modern-defense