Chess Openings Lab
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Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit

The Haxo Gambit is the Scotch Gambit with 4.Bc4 Bc5, where Black defends the d4 pawn with the bishop. White chooses between c3 for a central game and Ng5 for a sharp attack on f7, while Black holds d4 and aims to develop safely.

Moves
1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5
ECO
C44
Engine
0.00 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
3,612 games in our lichess sample
White scores
58.8%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play c3 and after ...Nf6 take cxd4, chasing the bishop with tempo and checking for e5.
  • Try Ng5 to hit f7, but after ...Nh6 Bxf7+ the line ends in a level, messy position.
  • Castling first and Nbd2-b3 also wins back d4 in a calm way.
  • Keep the c4 bishop pointed at f7 so Black's king stays uncomfortable.

Black

  • Answer c3 with ...Nf6, then after cxd4 check with ...Bb4+ and trade on d2.
  • Strike with ...d5 after the trades on d2 to free the game.
  • Against Ng5, defend f7 with ...Nh6, then answer Qh5+ by moving the king to f8.
  • Keep the d4 pawn with ...d6 and ...Bb6 if White castles and goes Nbd2.

Plans and pawn structure

After 5.c3 Nf6 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 the game opens: White has the center pawns, and Black trades bishops on d2 and strikes with ...d5 to break them up. If White picks the Ng5 line, the play becomes concrete around f7, with Black's king walking to f8 and White's queen active on h5. In the castling line, the d4 pawn falls later to Nbd2-b3 and both sides develop normally, with Black's bishop dropping to b6.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position 0.00: level. Its three top choices for White:

  1. 0.00 5.c3 Nf6 6.cxd4 Bb4+ 7.Bd2 Bxd2+
  2. −0.02 5.Ng5 Nh6 6.Bxf7+ Nxf7 7.Nxf7 Kxf7
  3. −0.33 5.O-O d6 6.Nbd2 Nf6 7.Nb3 Bb6

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

3,612 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 58.8%.

under 120051.7%
1200–159958.5%
1600–199961.4%
2000 and up52.0%

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

Where it goes next

How to play against it

As Black, meet c3 with ...Nf6 and know the ...Bb4+ check and ...d5. Against Ng5, play ...Nh6 and do not panic about the king on f8. As White, choose one plan and play it with tempo, because the pawn is not coming back for free.

Questions

What are the moves of the Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit?

The Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit starts 1.e4 e5 2.Nf3 Nc6 3.d4 exd4 4.Bc4 Bc5. Its ECO code is C44.

Is the Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position 0.00 at depth 20, which is level. In 3,612 lichess games from our sample, White scored 58.8%. Fun for both sides, but it rewards concrete knowledge of the ...Nh6 and ...Bb4+ resources more than general principles.

What is the main idea of the Scotch Game: Haxo Gambit?

Black guards the d4 pawn with the bishop, and White decides between c3 and a central game or Ng5 with an attack on f7. Both are about level with correct play.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is c3, with Ng5 and O-O close behind. 5.c3 opens lines in the center and, after ...Nf6 and cxd4, forces the bishop to check and trade.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.