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The Center Counter Defense or Scandinavian Defense is a chess opening characterized by the moves (in algebraic notation) 1.e4 d5.
White normally continues 2.exd5 when Black has two major continuations: 2...Qxd5 and 2...Nf6.
After 2...Qxd5 White normally attacks the queen with gain of tempo with 3.Nc3 when 3...Qa5 is most common (3...Qd8 and 3...Qd6 are also seen). A typical continuation might be 4.d4 Nf6 5.Nf3 Bg4 (or 5...Bf5) 6.h3 Bh5 7.g4 Bg6 8.Ne5, after which White often fianchettos his bishop on g2.
With 2...Nf6, Black delays recapturing the pawn for another move, believing that capturing with the knight rather than the queen will avoid the loss of time inherent in developing the queen so early. White may defend the pawn with 3.c4; now 3...e6 is the relatively little-explored Icelandic Gambit, in which Black gives up a pawn for quick development. 3...c6 is more common; if now 4.dxc6, then Black has sufficient compensation for the pawn after 4...Nc6, with a development lead. White instead often plays 4.d4, which transposes to the Panov-Botvinnik Attack of the Caro-Kann Defense after 4...cxd5.
Normally after 2...Nf6, however, white does not defend the pawn, but instead plays 3.d4 Nxd5 and then either 4.Nf3, developing normally, or 4.c4, taking a larger piece of the center and attacking the knight.
Alternatively, White may avoid all the Center Counter theory and play 2.d4, transposing into the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit.
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