Skip to main content

Scandinavian Defense · As Black · updated November 2026

Play the Scandinavian like Aleksandr Usov

A repertoire in the Scandinavian built from 78 of Aleksandr Usov's public Chess.com blitz games. At every position you play the move Aleksandr Usov chose most often. Where Aleksandr Usov has fewer than 3 games, the course takes the other top-50 players' most played move, then Stockfish's. Learn a line on the board, then each position comes back in a short daily review until it sticks.

Not affiliated with or endorsed by Aleksandr Usov or Chess.com.

  • Aleksandr Usov was #46 in Chess.com blitz in November 2026 (3,207) and scored 69% against opponents averaging 3,011 in these games.
  • You play Aleksandr Usov's own move in 30 of 40 positions.
  • The whole course is free, and it is updated monthly.

Train lines

Learn a new line move by move. Lines due for review go to your daily review first.

Next: line 1

Free · first 5 lines need no account

Blitz rank

#46

Chess.com

Rating

3,207

as of 8 Nov 2026

Games

78

in this opening

Score

69%

in these games

Opponents

3,011

average rating

Based on 78 games, Aug–Nov 2026

More about Aleksandr Usov

Use arrow keys to navigate the board. Press Enter to select a piece, then use arrow keys and Enter to move. Press Escape to cancel a move.
Line 1 after 16 moves

Lines to learn

  1. Line 1 · 8% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bc4 e6 7.O-O Nf6 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Be7

    Next

  2. Line 2 · 6% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Nf6 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nbd7 10.O-O-O Nb6

    New

  3. Line 3 · 5% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Bc4 b5

    New

  4. Line 4 · 5% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Bf4 Nf6

    New

  5. Line 5 · 5% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Be2 e6 7.O-O Nd7

    New

  6. Line 6 · 5% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 e6 8.Be3 Nf6 9.Bd3 Nbd7 10.O-O-O Bb4

    New

  7. Line 7 · 5% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 e6 8.Be3 Nf6 9.O-O-O Bb4

    New

  8. Line 8 · 4% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.Bc4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bf5

    New

  9. Line 9 · 4% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.g3 c6 5.Bg2 Nf6

    New

  10. Line 10 · 4% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nf3 Bg4 4.Be2 c6

    New

  11. Line 11 · 3% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.h3 Bxf3 6.Qxf3 c6 7.Bc4 e6 8.O-O Nf6 9.Rd1 Nbd7

    New

  12. Line 12 · 3% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Bc4 e6 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.O-O Nf6 9.Rd1 Nbd7

    New

  13. Line 13 · 3% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Bc4 e6 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.O-O Nf6 9.b3 Nbd7

    New

  14. Line 14 · 3% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.Bc4 e6 6.h3 Bxf3 7.Qxf3 c6 8.O-O Nf6 9.d3 Nbd7

    New

  15. Line 15 · 3% at top level

    2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bc4 e6 7.Be3 Nf6 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Nbd7 10.O-O Be7

    New

Ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. Learned lines join your daily review.

Aleksandr Usov's main line in the Scandinavian, move by move

The most common line at top level: 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bc4 e6 7.O-O Nf6 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Be7.

  1. 2.exd5 Reply · Aleksandr Usov's games A common reply here is 2.exd5. At top level, this comes up about 95% of the time.
  2. 2…Qxd5 Your move · Aleksandr Usov's games Aleksandr Usov played 2…Qxd5 in 74 games, scoring 69%.
  3. 3.Nc3 Reply · Aleksandr Usov's games A common reply here is 3.Nc3. At top level, this comes up about 90% of the time.
  4. 3…Qd8 Your move · Aleksandr Usov's games Aleksandr Usov played 3…Qd8 in 67 games, scoring 66%.
  5. 4.d4 Reply · Aleksandr Usov's games A common reply here is 4.d4. At top level, this comes up about 60% of the time.
  6. 4…c6 Your move · Aleksandr Usov's games Aleksandr Usov played 4…c6 in 25 games, scoring 64%.
  7. 5.Nf3 Reply · Aleksandr Usov's games A common reply here is 5.Nf3. At top level, this comes up about 46% of the time.
  8. 5…Bg4 Your move · Aleksandr Usov's games Aleksandr Usov played 5…Bg4 in 19 games, scoring 58%.
  9. 6.Bc4 Reply · Aleksandr Usov's games A common reply here is 6.Bc4. At top level, this comes up about 19% of the time.
  10. 6…e6 Your move · Aleksandr Usov's games Aleksandr Usov played 6…e6 in 7 games, scoring 57%.
  11. 7.O-O Reply · Aleksandr Usov's games A common reply here is 7.O-O. At top level, this comes up about 8% of the time.
  12. 7…Nf6 Your move · Aleksandr Usov's games Aleksandr Usov played 7…Nf6 in 3 games, scoring 33%.
  13. 8.h3 Reply · Aleksandr Usov's games A common reply here is 8.h3.
  14. 8…Bxf3 Your move · Aleksandr Usov's games Aleksandr Usov played 8…Bxf3 in 3 games, scoring 33%.
  15. 9.Qxf3 Reply · Aleksandr Usov's games A common reply here is 9.Qxf3.
  16. 9…Be7 Your move · Aleksandr Usov's games Aleksandr Usov played 9…Be7 in 2 games, scoring 50%.

Questions about this course

How does Aleksandr Usov play the Scandinavian?
After 1.e4 d5, Aleksandr Usov's most common line is 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qd8 4.d4 c6 5.Nf3 Bg4 6.Bc4 e6 7.O-O Nf6 8.h3 Bxf3 9.Qxf3 Be7. At top level it comes up about 8% of the time.
Is this Aleksandr Usov's course?
No. ChessDrills builds it automatically from Aleksandr Usov's public Chess.com blitz games.
What is this Scandinavian course based on?
78 of Aleksandr Usov's Chess.com blitz games in the Scandinavian Defense as Black, against opponents with an average rating of 3,011. Aleksandr Usov scored 69% in them.
How many lines does the course have?
15 lines covering 40 positions, ordered by how often they come up in top-level games. The first 5 lines need no account; saving your progress with an email unlocks the rest, free.
Who is Aleksandr Usov?
IM Aleksandr Usov was ranked number 46 on the Chess.com blitz leaderboard with a rating of 3,207 when this course was built.

More openings to play like Aleksandr Usov

Play the Scandinavian like other top players