Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense: what should White play?

In the Scotch Game: Scotch Gambit, Dubois Réti Defense, White faces an aggressive stance against the central knight on d4. The engine's preferred continuation is Bxf7+, which scores an evaluation of -0.64 and immediately disrupts Black's king safety. Across 266,111 recorded games at this position, this tactical clearance remains White's most resilient try to regain material parity while contesting the initiative.

The tactical concept of Bxf7+

By opting for Bxf7+, White sacrifices the light-squared bishop to force Black's king out into the open board. Black must capture the piece to prevent an outright loss of material, which allows White to immediately follow up with checks that target the loose knight on e4. The primary engine continuation demonstrates this idea with Bxf7+ Kxf7 Qh5+ g6 Qd5+ Kg7, where White utilizes a double attack against the king and knight to recover the sacrificed piece while leaving Black's king on g7.

Alternative continuations for White

When avoiding the tactical liquidation of Bxf7+, White can consider positional alternatives, though each leaves Black with a slight edge. The second-ranked choice is Nxc6 (eval -0.73), leading down the line Nxc6 bxc6 Qe2 d5 Nd2 f5, which pins the e4 against the king along the e-file. Less direct approaches include retreating the knight via Nf3 (eval -0.79), castles with O-O (eval -0.91), or developing the queen's knight with Nc3 (eval -1.13). While these moves maintain solid piece development, they grant Black time to consolidate their central presence compared to the immediate disruption caused by Bxf7+.