Overview
Chess Openings: Learn how to play the killer Scotch Opening!

With so many “bore draws” resulting from the Berlin (Ruy Lopez/Spanish), the attacking player needs a different option. The Scotch Opening (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4!) was resurrected by Garry Kasparov with devastating effect in his 1990 World Championship match against Karpov and is a fantastic chess opening for the attacking player.
The Scotch Opening is perhaps White’s strongest option against 1…e5, but was somehow ignored at the top level for nearly 100 years.
However, when Kasparov discovered what everyone else had missed, the hidden venom soon became apparent and the Scotch Opening, once again, became a deadly attacking weapon.
Now the secrets of the Scotch are laid bare in this 50-hour collection from top Grandmasters such as Damian Lemos, Jan Gustafsson, Ron W. Henley, Jon Ludvig Hammer, Roman Dzindzichashvili, and IMs Irina Bulmaga, Sopiko Guramishvili, and Andrew Martin.
Is this course for me?
This course on the Scotch Opening enables you to build up your understanding of this chess opening in the shortest amount of time by:
- Explaining the main ideas for both sides.
- Providing a clear analysis of each of Black’s replies with memorable GM games showing how to meet each of them.
- Revealing Garry Kasparov’s killer attacks in 3 courses devoted to his best games with the Scotch Opening. Seeing how Kasparov simply dismantles the world’s best players with the Scotch is as inspiring as it is instructive!
Volumes included
Crushing Black with the Scotch Opening – GM Damian Lemos

The Scotch Opening gives White:
- More space in the center
- Quick development
- The option to castle Queenside and start a pawn storm on Black’s King
- Great squares for the pieces
- Many ways to win the Bishop pair and damage Black’s pawn structure
- Subtle moves that restrict Black’s game by preventing the …d5 break
- A better endgame
All this, if you know how to handle it.
With a deep examination of 8 Super GM games, Grandmaster Damian Lemos shows you how White can play for an advantage every step of the way – regardless of Black’s continuation.
80/20 Tactics Multiplier: The Scotch Opening – IM Irina Bulmaga
If you want to master any chess opening, you need to know the typical positional ideas and remember the most important theoretical lines. But this is really not enough.
You also need to know the common tactical ideas, the kingside attacks, and positional breakthroughs.
In this 80/20 Tactics course, IM Irina Bulmaga equips you with expert knowledge of the key tactical and strategic ideas in the Scotch Opening – the fantastically powerful weapon Garry Kasparov turned to in his World Championship matches against Karpov and Short.
The Scotch opening gives you an important psychological edge against 1…e5 players who are comfortable playing the Ruy Lopez and Italian Game, taking them into uncharted territory where you call the shots.
It’s a strategically and dynamically complex opening full of tactical possibilities, making it perfect for players who want the game to be decided by skill instead of just memorizing theory.
Join IM Irina Bulmaga and master an aggressive opening you can use to win games for the rest of your playing days.
Winning with the Scotch – IM Sopiko Guramishvili
Tired of learning Ruy Lopez theory? Bored by the Italian? Play the Scotch! IM Sopiko Guramishvili teaches you everything you need to employ 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4! and play the Open Games on your own turf.
Goals
To provide the viewer with a complete repertoire against 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 and to help you win lots of games with the Scotch. Of course, the series can also be used by 1.e4 e5 players who want to know what’s in store for them.
Additional information about the video
Sopiko covers some very rare sidelines and gives an overview of what will be analysed in the video series.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
- Introduction and rare sidelines
- 4…Bb4+ sideline
- 4…Qf6 sideline
- 4…Bc5 5.Nxc6, 5.Be3 options
- 4…Bc5 5.Nb3 main line
- 4…Nf6 Introducing the main line
- 4…Nf6, 8…Nb6 9.Nc3 sidelines
- 4…Nf6, 8…Nb6 main line
- 8…Ba6 9.b3 old main line
- 8…Ba6 9.Nd2 Part 1
- 8…Ba6 9.Nd2 Part 2
- Important ideas in the Scotch
The Four Knights – GM Jan Gustafsson
If you’re a 1.e4 e5 player, you’ll soon realize that the Four Knights, 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 is a popular and annoying weapon at White’s disposal.
You need to learn how to deal with it, whether your weapon of choice against the Spanish (Ruy Lopez) is the Marshall, the Berlin or the Petroff.
Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson teaches you how to react to 3.Nc3 in the most ambitious manner.
CHAPTER OUTLINE
- Introduction Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson welcomes you to his new mini-series, a full repertoire for Black against the solid Four Knights opening.
- The Scotch Four Knights Grandmaster Jan Gustafsson looks at one of the most solid lines White has at his disposal after 1.e4 e5 – the Scotch Four Knights: 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.d4.
- The Spanish Four Knights Jan takes a look at the move 4.Bb5, that can lead to very sharp and direct play in our main lines.
- The Spanish 4 Knights, 4…Nd4 and other moves We look at the alternatives White has on move 5 after 4.Bb5 Nd4, including 5.0-0, 5.Nxd4 and 5.Nxe5.
- Rare 4th moves 4.a3, 4.h3, 4.Be2 and 4.g3. There are many surprise weapons White has at his disposal on move 4. We take a look at them all and tie up the remaining loose ends.
Chess Openings for Black – GM Jon Ludvig Hammer
If you keep getting into a lot of trouble when playing as Black, this video series will definitely help you.
GM Hammer, an opening specialist, has produced more than 12 hours of content to teach you how to play to win with some of the most popular chess openings for black.
You will learn the plans for both sides but focusing more on the strategies for the Black pieces.
GM Hammer covers the main alternatives of each line with great deepness and yet his explanations are clear and easy to follow.
Even though he mostly focuses on the Spanish, Italian and Queen’s Gambit Declined, you will also find valuable lessons on the Catalan Opening, Reti Opening, English Opening, London System and some not so frequent 1st moves and minor lines.
If you want to move up to master level in chess, there comes a time when you must start building an opening repertoire.
Now’s the time!
Get this +12-hour video series and enjoy more than 20 lessons of highly instructive chess content.
Start building your new openings repertoire for flack with GM Jon Ludvig Hammer!
The Scotch – A Modern Opening Repertoire for White – IM Andrew Martin
This all-new Foxy Openings DVD features a dynamic, modern repertoire for White using the Scotch Opening. International Master Andrew Martin takes a close look at 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 and whilst some of his opening choices may surprise, you will see Grandmasters going down left, right and centre to these new interpretations.
The Scotch Opening has become very popular and this popularity seems set to continue at all levels. The average club player can use this opening to devastating effect. 3 d4 is recommended!
The Deadly Scotch – IM Andrew Martin
Volume One introduces Martin’s new “Winning Repertoire Series for White – 1.e4”, which outlines a complete repertoire system for the first player, built around the King’s Pawn opening.
Here IM Martin has prepared the Scotch Opening in case Black answers 1…e5, but he aims to use the tricky move order 1.e4 e5 2.d4 exd4 3.Nf3 and so avoid (for example) the Petroff Defense. Throughout, we find that Martin prepares White to get up and running, set to play 1.e4 in a short amount of time.
Kasparov’s Killer Scotch For The Tournament Player Parts 1, 2 & 3 – GM Ron Henley
GM Ron Henley spent months researching and organizing this material and it shows. The end result is a perfectly devised opening course, patiently explained, instructive and made easy to remember with a ton of model examples from Grandmaster play.
In the rare case your opponent has studied this opening as much as you, you’ll have a comfortable position with attacking chances that’s nice to play. If they haven’t, you’ll steamroller them off the board!
Add Kasparov’s Killer Scotch to your repertoire and enjoy big advantages early on; open, attacking games and have a ton of fun too!
12 Hours of Content on 3 DvDs
Part 1
- Early Black Alternatives
- 2…d6 (Philidor Defense)
- 3…d6 (Steinitz Ruy)
- 3…Nf6, 3…Nxd4, 3…d5, 3…Qf6, 3…f6
Part 2
- Early Black Alternatives
- 4…Nxd4 , 4…Qf6, 4…g6, 4…Bb4+
- Steinitz 4…Qh4
- Early Black Alternatives
- Classical 4…Bc5 5.Nxc6 bxc6
- 4…Bc5 5.Nxc6 Qf6 6.Qf3
Part 3
- Garry Kasparov Greatest Scotch Games
- Mieses Variation
- 4…Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.Bd3
- 4…Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Nd5
- 4…Nf6 5.Nxc6 bxc6 6.e5 Ne4 & 6.e5 Ng8
- 4…Nf6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Nb6
- 4…Nf6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6
- 4…Nf6 6.e5 Qe7 7.Qe2 Nd5 8.c4 Ba6
Kasparov’s Deadly Weapon – The Scotch Game – IM Andrew Martin
Over a decade ago World Champion Garry Kasparov surprised the chess world when he dusted off the Scotch Game, demonstrating that this ancient opening still contained a lot of poison. In this DVD, IM Andrew Martin takes a look at Kasparov’s Deadly Weapon, focusing on the position that arises after 1 e4 e5 2 Nf3 Nc6 3 d4 exd4 4 Nxd4. This opening is a must for the attacking player!
OUTLINE
Part 1: Introduction Part 2: Key ideas
Part 3: Repertoire suggestions
Part 4: Kasparov vs. Karpov
Part 5: Kasparov vs. I. Sokolov
Part 6: Kasparov vs. Nikolic
Part 7: Kasparov vs. Adams
Part 8: Kasparov vs. Timman
Part 9: Kasparov vs. Short
Part 10: Kasparov vs. Yusupov
Part 11: Kasparov vs. Unzicker
Part 12: Conclusion
The Scotch and Giuoco Piano – GM Roman Dzindzichashvili
Scotch Gambit (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4) and Giuoco Piano (1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.Bc4 Bc5). The Scotch & Giuoco openings give White an aggressive tactical repertoire. Roman has revived old lines giving them new ideas.
These openings are hard to meet at even the highest level; so sit back and let Roman show you how to get great results with these rarely used openings.
New Lines & Novelties in the Scotch and f4 Sicilian – GM Roman Dzindzichashvili
Roman presents new ideas for white in the Scotch Opening and f4 Sicilian. These updates will help you get an edge on counter improvements made by black. This is a great companion to Romans earlier DVD, volume 22 on the Scotch, and volume 23 on the f4 Sicilian.
Highly Instructive and Educational Games for The Scotch Player – GM Roman Dzindzichashvili
On this DVD, Roman gives analysis of his own games played with Scotch for white.
Games are very typical for the opening and extremely helpful for the players of any level.
You will see the ideas of the opening integrated in every game. Games are selected to outline main ideas described in opening analysis and have great practical value