Scandinavian defense (Chess)

The Scandinavian Defense (or Center Counter Defense, or Center Counter Game) is a chess opening beginning with the moves: 1. e4 d5 This opening was featured in the first documented chess game with the modern queen and bishop moves, in the 15th century Catalan poem Scachs d'amor. Considered to be the most directly challenging move available to Black after 1.e4, the general goal of the Scandinavian is to prevent White from controlling the center of the board with pawns, effectively forcing an open game. White almost always replies by taking the pawn with 2.exd5, after which there are two main branches, the more "positional" 2...Qxd5 and the more "tactical" 2...Nf6. After 2...Qxd5 3.Nc3 Black must spend another tempo moving the queen; the main options are 3...Qa5, 3...Qd6, and 3...Qd8. In the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, all lines of the Scandinavian are covered by the single code B01.