1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4

Black has many other options on move 4, mostly bad. Early queen wanderings e.g. 4.....Qe7 or 4.....Qf6 are wrong on basic principles because the queen gets in the way and becomes a target. Harmless pawn moves, like 4.....h6 which is played I assume to prevent the Fried Liver Attack 5.Ng5, just waste valuable time. 4.....d3 gives white a pawn centre. The 3 most reasonable other 4th moves are:

a). 4.....d6 b). 4.....Be7 c). 4.....Bb4+

a). 4.....d6

This gives black a sort of Philidor. The game might go...

5.Nxd4 Nf6

6.Nc3 Be7

7.0-0 0-0

8.f3 Re8

9.Be3 Ne5

10.Bb3

and white has an advantage.

b). 4.....Be7

Not great.

5.c3

Now if 5.....dxc3 then 6.Qd5 and the Be7 gets in the way. This line continues 6.....Nh6 7.Bxh6 0-0 8.Nxc3 (After 8.Bc1 then 8....Nb4 9.Qd1 c2 makes a fight of it for black) 8....gxh6. The idea is that the white queen swings over to h5, gobbles the pawn (h4 sees off Bg5) and the black king is wide open. Having said that, this line isn't as clear as some books would have you believe & it's worth digging out a few games with it in. Actually, on move 8 white can also play Bxg7. If black doesn't take the bishop straight away with his king then white gets a huge attack (8....Nb4 and white sticks his queen on the black diagonal with his bishop, threatening Bh8 and Qg7++).

5.....Nf6

6.e5 Ng4

7.cxd4

and white has a meaty center with quick development.

c). 4.....Bb4+

This is one of the few proper gambit lines.

5.c3! dxc3

6.0-0 c2

If 6....cxb2 7.Bxb2 gives white a beast of an attack. Any attacking white player worth his salt should enjoy this kind of position.

7.Qxc2 Nge7

Staunton-Popert (ah yes, I remember it well) went 7.....d6 8.a3 Ba5 9.b4 Bb6 10.Bb2 Nf6 11.e5! dxe5 12.Nxe5 Nxe5 13.Bxe5 0-0 14.Nc3 Ng4 15.Bg3 Qg5 16.Rae1 Bf5 17.Qb3 Nf6 18.Re7

8.a3 Ba5

9.b4 Bb6

10.Bb2

Again white has good attacking chances.

So, that's yer lot. The potted Scotch Gambit. In practice, I've found that opponents play the lines from part 3 in two thirds of games, with 4.....d6 being the favourite. In three years of playing this opening in league and tournament I've only got to the Max Lange once, so I wouldn't worry about that one too much.

***Update***

Before you launch into a career of SGs, here's a second opinion from Bertrand Humeau...

"Dear Webmaster, As a player of the scotch gambit i think it is good to tell you some of the variations given on your website are better for black and not for white in the section of the scotch gambit. After 4...Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5, the "Max Lange" is very known as better for Black an not for white! Even if it can look better for white BUT it is not! I suppose if you ask i won't be the only to tell you. At least, it is going into too many complications.

Why not play something good and much easier than 6.e5 d5? I think you should have a look at 6.c3. After 4...Nf6 5.0-0 Bc5 6.c3, 6...Nxe4 seems to be the best move for white:
-6...dxc3, 7.Nxc3 d6, 8.Bg5 with the threat Nd5
-6...d5, 7.exd5 Nxd5, 8.cxd4 Be7, 9.Bxd5 Qxd5, 10.Nc3 Qd8, 11.d5 -6...d3, 7.b4 Be7, 8.e5 Ng4, 9.Re1 and Black pieces look ridiculous
-6...Nxe4, 7.cxd4 d5 (7...Be7, 8.d5 is good for white), 8.dxc5 dxc4, 9.Qxd8+ Kxd8, 10.Rd1+ Bd7, 11.Be3 Ke7 is about equal [if 9.Qe2, 9...Qd3! with good chances of equality and a complicated position: 10.Re1 f5, 11.Nbd2 0-0, 12.Nxe4 fxe4, 13.Qxe4 Bf5!]"

ok, thanks Bertrand.
All I can say is that the theory featured in this section is a potted guide intended for casual, club and lower section tournament players, compiled by an average club player. At that (my) level, if your opponent can remember all the ins and outs of the Max Lange Attack then he deserves the point! The general consensus regarding the Scotch Gambit seems to be that it is lively and trappy, but is drawish with best play (a rarity at club level!)

Back to Scotch Gambit Intro & Part 1

Back to Scotch Gambit Part 2