Scotch Game:Schmidt Variation

It is reached after 8 moves: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6. It is a line of the Scotch Game.

White is to move and has 42 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 1,583,194 different games. Those games reach 526,917 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 3 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 3 further lines after this position, such as Alekhine Gambit (5. e5) and Mieses Variation (5. Nxc6 bxc6 6. e5).

The same moves can be played in 36 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. Nf3 e5 2. e4 Nc6 3. d4 exd4 4. Nxd4 Nf6, which starts as the Zukertort Opening.