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The Scandinavian or Center Counter (1.e4 d5) has traveled a unique route. Seen as neglecting standard principles of opening play it gained little traction with titled strength players until Larsen and Rogers. Club players had always liked it because of the limited amount of material to know compared to other defenses. The rise of the Slav defense to 1.d4 motivated some IM/GM strength players to work on it because the pawn structure of the Slav was very similar to the Scandinavian. It then became an accepted venture at most levels. Starting Out: the Scandinavian by Houska is the most recent effort to bring the lure of the defense to light. Actually, I am not entirely certain of the direction of this book. I don’t mean that as a criticism. The second chapter of the book delves directly into what is currently the theoretical test of 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Qxd5 3.Nc3 Qa5. Specifically the line 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 c6 6.Bc4 Bf5 7.Bd2 e6 8.Nd5.
Concise explanations continue into the following chapters which have more of the flavor of the earlier Scandinavian theory, that is a solid position with natural development and decisions placed in the mid game. Another line in the Scandinavian that has found a following is the line with 3…Qd6. Here again Houska jumps right in with coverage of what is the critical line. At points there are suggestions for alternate directions to give the reader some room for personal work. The final section of the book covers the Marshall line 1.e4 d5 2.exd5 Nf6. This is another line that has been more prevalent at weekend events or in clubs, though because of a reputation for more active play than 3… Qxd5. Few defenses have received as large a push with non-titled players in the past 2 decades as the 2…Nf6 line because of the discoveries of the Icelandic and Portuguese variations. Houska goes outside the box a bit by devoting a majority of the analysis here to lines after 2…Nf6 3.d4 Nxd5 (instead of the 3…Bg4 Portuguese variation), lines that still seem very viable for the Black player. I have to assume that is a preference of the author rather than any indication of theoretical standing. I have to offer kudos to the author Jovanka Houska for this book. She offers her preferences and opinions on variations quite openly which is not common with many authors. It is obvious that the author has confidence in the defense and is passing it on to the reader. My own feeling is that the book should have either been rearranged or re-titled. The book makes clear that the Scandinavian is as subject to heavy analysis as any line in the Sicilian. Fair enough, but the selling points of the defense have been its simple ideas and solid positional basis. Wouldn’t it be better to start out with the strengths instead of the places where White is going to take a swing? I understand that it is important to know lines that are critical, yet leading with that material suggests the reader is already familiar with many points of the material. This just seems out of order to me. Material in this book comes across clearly and many points in the book are well worth the time it takes to read. Despite my misgivings about the order of material, this is a good book for anyone who plays or wants to play the Scandinavian.
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