The Scandinavian Defense Revisited - Thomas Engqvist

"A Cold-Blooded Counter to 1.e4!"

The opening move 1…d5, in response to 1 e4, is known as the Scandinavian Defense and is one of the oldest recorded chess openings. It was played in a casual game between Francesc de Castellvi and Narcis Vinyoles in Valencia, Spain, around 1475, marking the first recorded game of modern chess. This opening also appears in Lucena’s 1497 book, Repetición de Amores y Arte de Ajedrez con 150 Juegos (Repetition of Love and the Art of Playing Chess with 150 Games). The term Scandinavian Game gained prominence around the turn of the 20th century.

Scandinavian players, especially from Sweden and Denmark, analysed, popularised, and adopted the opening. Notable Swedish players include Gustaf Nyholm, the Collijn brothers (Gustaf and Ludvig), Fritz Englund, and Karl Berndtsson, alongside the Danish player Carl August Walbrodt. The Collijn brothers consistently replied to 1 e4 with 1…d5 (combined with 2…Qxd5 and 3…Qd8) during the first Nordic Championship in Stockholm in 1897.

The structure of the present book revolves around model games. I firmly believe that familiarity with both classical and contemporary examples provides a holistic understanding of the Scandinavian Defense. By studying entire games, you will gain insight into how this opening has been approached throughout different periods of chess history. This means the book is suitable for use by players of either side (White or Black).