Chess Openings Lab
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Scotch Game: Relfsson Gambit

The Relfsson Gambit is 3...exd4 4.Bb5, where White pins the c6 knight instead of recapturing on d4. It is a dubious gambit: Black can keep the pawn with ...Bc5 or trade into a comfortable endgame with ...a6 and ...Bxc6.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bb5
ECO
C44
Engine
−0.60 · a slight edge for Black (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
310 games in our lichess sample
White scores
43.7%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Take on c6 and recapture d4 with the queen, accepting a quiet endgame after the queen trade.
  • Use Nbd2 and Nb3 to win back d4, as in the top engine line.
  • After ...Bb4+, play c3 and recapture Nxc3, gaining development for the pawn.
  • Castle early and keep the bishop pair only if Black gives time.

Black

  • Develop ...Bc5 to defend d4, then ...a6 forces White to give up the bishop.
  • After Bxc6, recapture ...dxc6 to open the d-file and free the c8 bishop.
  • Trade queens on d4 with ...Qxd4 when White recaptures, getting the bishop pair.
  • Keep the d4 pawn as long as it costs nothing, since it cramps White's queenside development.

Plans and pawn structure

After 4...Bc5 5.Nbd2 a6 6.Bxc6 dxc6, Black has the bishop pair and a solid d4 pawn, and White has to work to recover it. With ...a6 at once, White trades on c6 and recaptures on d4, but after the queen trade Black has two bishops in an open endgame. White's practical chances lie in quick development and pressure on e5, but objectively Black is fine and slightly better.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.60: a slight edge for Black. Its three top choices for Black:

  1. −0.60 4...Bc5 5.Nbd2 a6 6.Bxc6 dxc6 7.Nb3
  2. −0.27 4...a6 5.Bxc6 dxc6 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4
  3. −0.19 4...Bb4+ 5.c3 dxc3 6.Nxc3 a6 7.Ba4

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

310 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 43.7%.

under 120042.4%
1200–159941.0%
1600–199950.0%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

As Black, play ...Bc5 or ...a6. Both keep things simple and give you the bishop pair. Do not play ...Bb4+ greedily if you are not sure of the tactics. As White, this gambit is risky: development has to compensate for structural problems.

Questions

What are the moves of the Scotch Game: Relfsson Gambit?

The Scotch Game: Relfsson Gambit starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bb5. Its ECO code is C44.

Is the Scotch Game: Relfsson Gambit good for White?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.60 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for Black. In 310 lichess games from our sample, White scored 43.7%. A surprise weapon for White that is objectively dubious, and Black players get an easy game with simple moves.

What is the main idea of the Scotch Game: Relfsson Gambit?

White pins the c6 knight and delays recapturing on d4. Black can defend d4 with ...Bc5 or trade on c6 into a simple endgame where Black has the bishop pair.

What should Black play next?

The engine's first choice is Bc5, with a6 and Bb4+ close behind. 4...Bc5 guards the d4 pawn, and after ...a6 White must give up the bishop.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.