1. e4 d5

Also known as the Centre Counter Defence, this is one of the oldest known chess openings. In fact, it appears in a fictional game of chess in the Valencian poem “Scachs d’amor” from 1475 which (despite its fictional status) may be the first recorded game played according to the modern rules.

The idea is to directly challenge white in the centre, preventing them from establishing a strong pawn centre and allowing black freedom for their pieces. After 2. exd5 Qxd5, though, black suffers the same problem that white did in the Centre Game: the move 3. Nc3 develops a piece and attacks the black queen, forcing black to waste a move getting the queen to safety. The Modern Variation, in which black delays recapturing with 2… Nf6, might be more promising, but white can usually establish pawns at c4 and d4 and have a good game.

The Scandinavian Defence has never been a favourite of the top players, but it saw occasional use in the late 19th and early 20th centuries by players including world champions Jose Raul Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine. From the 1920s to the 1950s it was hardly played at all, but since the ’60s, it has returned to occasional use in high level chess, often as a way to surprise the opponent. It was played in a world championship match for the first time in 1995 by Viswanathan Anand against Garry Kasparov – but Kasparov won the game.