The Scandinavian1...d5, the most direct answer to 1.e4, and its cost.Chess1.e4 d5 2.exd5 — and then Black must decide how to recapture.12...Qxd5Immediate recapture. Simple, but the queen will be attacked.23.Nc3White develops with tempo, hitting the queen.33...Qa5, Qd6 or Qd8Three main retreats, each with its own character.4Or 2...Nf6The Modern Scandinavian: regain the pawn later, keep the queenhome.WHY BEGINNERS LIKE ITVery little theoryThe same structure against almost anythingBlack knows the position from move twoIt breaks the rule about early queen moves and remains sound, becausethe queen retreats to a genuinely useful square.The Scandinavianlearnposters.com
The Scandinavian — printable games wall chart from LearnPosters. Free vector PDF, US Letter and A4.

The Scandinavian, step by step

1.e4 d5 2.exd5 — and then Black must decide how to recapture.

  1. 2...Qxd5Immediate recapture. Simple, but the queen will be attacked.
  2. 3.Nc3White develops with tempo, hitting the queen.
  3. 3...Qa5, Qd6 or Qd8Three main retreats, each with its own character.
  4. Or 2...Nf6The Modern Scandinavian: regain the pawn later, keep the queen home.

Why beginners like it

  • Very little theory
  • The same structure against almost anything
  • Black knows the position from move two

It breaks the rule about early queen moves and remains sound, because the queen retreats to a genuinely useful square.

Questions about the The Scandinavian poster

What’s on the The Scandinavian poster?
4 numbered steps, with a full worked run-through. 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 — and then Black must decide how to recapture. 2...Qxd5 — Immediate recapture. Simple, but the queen will be attacked.; 3.Nc3 — White develops with tempo, hitting the queen.; 3...Qa5, Qd6 or Qd8 — Three main retreats, each with its own character.; Or 2...Nf6 — The Modern Scandinavian: regain the pawn later, keep the queen home.. It breaks the rule about early queen moves and remains sound, because the queen retreats to a genuinely useful square.
Who is the The Scandinavian poster for?
The Scandinavian belongs to the Chess section rather than to a school year, because games is not something one grade owns. Anyone learning openings can pin it up — a beginner, a student mid-course, or someone revising years later.
When should you use the The Scandinavian poster?
Black challenges the centre immediately, and pays by moving the queen out early. A wall chart earns its place by being glanceable from where the work is happening, so The Scandinavian belongs on the wall where that games work actually happens, within glancing distance, rather than filed away.
What other posters go with The Scandinavian?
Avoiding Theory, The Caro-Kann and When to Castle sit alongside The Scandinavian in the Chess section. Printed together they make a wall rather than a single sheet, which is how a reference set actually gets used.Avoiding TheoryThe Caro-KannWhen to Castle
Is the The Scandinavian poster free to download and print?
Yes. The Scandinavian downloads as a free PDF with no account, no email and no watermark, like everything else in the Chess section. Print as many copies as you like for a home, a classroom, a library or a tutoring group; reselling the file is the only thing the licence rules out.Read the licence
What size does the The Scandinavian poster print at?
The Scandinavian is a vector PDF laid out for US Letter, and prints on A4 with Fit to page — the same file, no separate download. Because every mark on it is drawn rather than photographed, it stays sharp enlarged to A3, A2 or A1 at a copy shop. Colour carries emphasis only, so a greyscale print of The Scandinavian loses nothing.Printing guide

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