Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
715,170 games: White 42.7% / Draw 5.4% / Black 51.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 348,143348K | ||
| 209,048209K | ||
| 66,71467K | ||
| Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack | 42,69643K | |
| Scotch Game: Braune Variation | 12,87713K | |
| Scotch Game: Fraser Variation | 12,47412K | |
| 8,5558,555 | ||
| 4,1084,108 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+1.01 White is better
Best play: 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Be2 Qxe4 7. Nb5 Bxc3+ 8. bxc3 Kd8 9. O-O Nf6
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 56% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 149K | |
| 1400–1799 | 439K | |
| 1800–2199 | 407K | |
| 2200 and up | 42K | |
| Masters, over the board | 275 |
Master games
- Kasimdzhanov, R. – Vladimirov, E.
- Vescovi, G. P. – Rodriguez Vila, A.
- Sveshnikov, E. – Sermek, D.
- Korneev, O. – Komljenovic, D.
- Campora, D. H. – Mitkov, 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
Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation (ECO C45, Open Games) is a variation of the Scotch Game, reached after 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Qh4 (4 moves).
In 715,170 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.7%, Black 51.9% and 5.4% were drawn. White's most played move here is 5. Nc3, in 49% of those games.
It branches into 5 named variations; the most played are Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack and Scotch Game: Fraser Variation. In all, 9 named lines continue from it.
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: Steinitz Variation
5. Nb5 (Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack) scores best for White: 58.6%, with White winning 56.4% and Black 39.2% of 43K games. The most played, 5. Nc3, scores 47.4% in 348K games, and 5. Nxc6 scores lowest: 40.5%. Stockfish's first choice is 5. Nc3.
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: Steinitz Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.023% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.035%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.035% | 12,664 |
| 2017 | 0.036% | 20,009 |
| 2018 | 0.037% | 28,874 |
| 2019 | 0.033% | 40,933 |
| 2020 | 0.031% | 90,374 |
| 2021 | 0.028% | 109,656 |
| 2022 | 0.027% | 101,024 |
| 2023 | 0.027% | 101,097 |
| 2024 | 0.026% | 91,965 |
| 2025 | 0.023% | 81,254 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.023% | 24,738 |
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
Variations (5)
All 9 named lines that continue from here
- C45 Scotch Game: Braune Variation 5 moves
- C45 Scotch Game: Fraser Variation 5 moves
- C45 Scotch Game: Horwitz Attack 5 moves
- C45 Scotch Game: Paulsen Variation 5 moves
- C45 Steinitz Variation 5 moves
- C45 Scotch Game 6 moves
- C45 Scotch Game: Modern Defense 5 moves
- C45 Horwitz Attack, Blackburne Variation 9 moves
- C45 Rosenthal Variation 9 moves
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Scotch Game: Steinitz Variation (C45)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/scotch-game-steinitz-variation