Chess Openings Lab
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Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line

The Göring Gambit Main Line is 4...dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bb4, where White recaptures with the knight and Black pins it at once. White wants Bc4, castling and the e5 break, while Black plans ...Bxc3 to wreck White's pawns and keep the extra pawn.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bb4
ECO
C44
Engine
−0.10 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
910 games in our lichess sample
White scores
57.5%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Develop Bc4 and castle, and after ...Bxc3 and bxc3 push e5 to open lines.
  • Bd3 and Nd5 is another plan, using the knight to hit the bishop and c7.
  • Bb5 can come first to provoke ...a6, then the bishop drops back to c4 aiming at f7.
  • Use Qb3 against f7 once the c4 bishop is in place and the king has castled.

Black

  • Trade on c3 with ...Bxc3 to double White's pawns and remove a strong knight.
  • Play ...d6 and ...Nf6 to control e5 before White can push the e-pawn forward.
  • Against Bd3, put the knight on e7, castle and retreat ...Bc5 if Nd5 comes.
  • Take on e5 when White pushes there too early, keeping an extra pawn.

Plans and pawn structure

Black is a pawn up, and the main fight is White's development against Black's material. After Bc4, O-O and ...Bxc3, bxc3, White has open lines and the e5 push, while Black uses ...d6, ...Nf6 and ...O-O to defend. In the Bd3 line, White keeps the knight, plays Nd5 and a3, and Black answers with ...Bc5 and ...a5. White's attack lives on open files and diagonals, so trades favor Black.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position −0.10: level. Its three top choices for White:

  1. −0.10 6.Bc4 d6 7.O-O Bxc3 8.bxc3 Nf6
  2. −0.23 6.Bd3 Nge7 7.O-O O-O 8.Nd5 Bc5
  3. −0.23 6.Bb5 a6 7.Bc4 Bxc3+ 8.bxc3 d6

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

910 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 57.5%.

under 120053.8%
1200–159957.0%
1600–199963.3%
2000 and up37.8%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

As Black, pin with ...Bb4, trade on c3 when it damages White's pawns, and castle quickly. Do not move the f-pawn or leave f7 weak, since Bc4 and Qb3 will aim there. As White, keep pieces on the board and use e5 or Nd5 to keep the initiative going.

Questions

What are the moves of the Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line?

The Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.c3 dxc3 5.Nxc3 Bb4. Its ECO code is C44.

Is the Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position −0.10 at depth 20, which is level. In 910 lichess games from our sample, White scored 57.5%. Suits aggressive White players who know the e5 plans, while calm Black players who castle fast have a comfortable extra pawn.

What is the main idea of the Scotch Game: Göring Gambit, Main Line?

White gets the c3 knight into play for a pawn, and Black pins it with ...Bb4. The game revolves around White's e5 push and Black's plan to trade on c3 and keep the extra pawn.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is Bc4, with Bd3 and Bb5 close behind. 6.Bc4 develops toward f7 and prepares castling, keeping the e5 push in reserve.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.