Scandinavian Variation, Bogoljubow Variation

In the Bogoljubow Variation White neither advances nor exchanges but defends e4 with 3. Nc3. The defense is indirect, because 3...dxe4 wins a pawn for the moment. White answers with 4. d5, driving the knight from c6 and gaining time. Retreats to e5 or b8 are possible. 4...Ne5 is the Nimzowitsch Gambit, and 4...Nb8 5. f3, reopening lines in the Blackmar-Diemer manner, is the Richter Gambit. Taking on e4 is Black's usual choice, made in well over half of all games.

Black can also keep the tension. 3...e6 transposes to the Hecht-Reefschläger Variation of the French Defense, where the knight on c6 blocks the c-pawn and rules out the usual ...c5 break. 3...Nf6, the Vehre Variation, adds a second piece to the fight for e4. Several gambit replies carry names: 3...e5 (Heinola-Deppe), 3...g6 (Erben) and 3...a6 (Brandics), the last of which ignores the pressure on d5 altogether. The engine rates the position as roughly balanced, and practical results are close to even, with White slightly ahead.