English Opening, Anglo-Scandinavian Defense

The Anglo-Scandinavian Defense arises when Black answers White's c-pawn on c4 by advancing the d-pawn to d5. It is a direct response: instead of preparing ...d5 with another move, Black places the pawn where White's c-pawn can capture it immediately.

After cxd5, Black may recapture with the queen. Nc3 then develops White's knight and attacks the queen at the same time, so one move performs two jobs. Black can also delay recapturing with ...Nf6 or play ...e6, temporarily offering a pawn to speed development. A deliberate material offer in return for activity is called a gambit.

The Anglo-Grünfeld Defense also uses ...d5, but Black has first developed the knight to f6 and White has normally played Nc3. In the Anglo-Scandinavian, ...d5 is Black's first reply and forces an immediate confrontation. The resulting position depends on who exchanges, which piece recaptures, and how much time Black's queen must spend moving.