The Steinitz Scotch is a bad variation for black if white knows it. If he doesn’t… it can be very tricky to face.
For an introduction to the Scotch, watch this video on the basics: • Scotch Game | Ideas, P...
The Steinitz Variation is a rarely used sideline for black, but it can come as a nasty surprise. Black develops his queen to h4, aggressively looking at the f2 pawn and immediately attacking e4. Those are threats white has to deal with immediately. The natural Bd3 fails because the d4 knight is hanging.
Qd3 which defends both is also a bad move because it justifies the early queen development and allows black to develop and castle normally. The only way to play for white is to gambit e4 and allow black to capture. This might seem counter intuitive, but it gives white a tremendous initiative and pressure on black’s position.
White continues by creating a threat of his own and developing rapidly. If white plays correctly, black is in trouble. The engines give the position as much better for white and practice has shown that white easily wins the majority of the games.
If you play the Scotch, the Steinitz Variation is a line which you must be aware of and you have to know how to punish. The good news is that once you do, you shouldn’t have much trouble!
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