A word on the opening. 3. ... Qxd8 has earned the nickname "the banker". Black loses a tempo, but in return he argues that an exchange of central pawns has stopped white from building a strong centre.

The move 3. Nc3 also has its drawbacks. If white continues with d4 at some stage, he may want to bolster that pawn with c3 or advance c4 to put two pawns abreast in the centre. But the Nc3 is standing in the way of either pawn move, so white often has to move that knight anyway. And that gives the tempo back.

"The Banker" is not an opening that thrills the soul, but it is a relatively safe way to play for an easier life if you don't mind a draw. It can be particularly useful against aggressive players or book experts.

<1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qg5?>

James Plaskett: "The Scandinavian defence": (Batsford 2004)

"Stonewalling or what?

With this move Black either expresses no active ambitions whatsoever in the initial stages of the game, but rather he is aiming to avoid exposing his queen to early harassment from white's pieces whilst developing his pieces to sensible squares. Or he plays a quite different formation involving a quick fianchetto of the king's bishop to initiate play against d4.

If the stonewall approach is okay, then, as with the variation 3. ... Qe5+ this may be telling us that the slight loss of time Black cedes with his two early queen moves really is not so significant at all after White prevents himself from putting up a two pawn centre with 3. Nc3."

John Emms: "The Scandinavian" (Chess Press, 1997):

"3. ... Qd8 looks a little passive, but it does have some positive ideas, including a kingside fianchetto and the development of the king's knight to f5 via h6.

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