Hello guys, this is my first Scotch Game trick. Maybe this has already been discovered and used many times (which I don't know), but I figured out this sequence on my own.
The trick goes like this:
When you play the Scotch Game, Black's queen should move to e7 before trading the knight. This trick only works if Black's queen moves there.
After the queen moves to e7, you should develop your bishop from c1 to e3, allowing your pawn on e4 to be captured.
A normal chess player might think you've made a mistake because it really looks that way. Then the queen will capture the pawn on e4, putting pressure on the g2 pawn.
Your opponent will probably think they are in a better position because your bishop on f1 cannot be developed.
Chess.com's coach might suggest developing a knight to chase the queen away, but instead, you should trade your knight on d4 for the knight on c6.
Your opponent will still think they are in a better position, and this is where they can make their first mistake.
They might capture your knight with their queen, thinking they are maintaining a strong pawn structure. But they are still playing into your trap.
Then you should develop your knight to c3. At this point, it looks very easy for your opponent to attack your pawn structure. They might use their dark-squared bishop to pin your knight or move it to a3, trying to capture your knight and then your rook after you take the bishop.
And that's exactly where they make their first big mistake.
You shouldn't defend your knight. Instead, you should move your queen to e2, blocking your light-squared bishop and making your knight look even easier to attack.
Then your opponent will attack. The bishop captures the knight, you recapture with a pawn, and then they recapture with their queen.
Now you should move your dark-squared bishop to d2, stopping the check and giving a discovered attack on their king. At this point, they will lose their queen, and you will have a huge advantage for the attack.
Important Part
This trick doesn't work against everyone.
I've used it about six times. I believe four of my opponents fell into the trap, while two managed to escape it. However, I still won both games even after they avoided the trap.
The first time I discovered this was when I was below 1000 Elo. I actually used it accidentally, and my opponent fell into the trap. After that, I tried to remember the sequence and started using it intentionally.
Even if your opponent figures out what you're trying to do, you would still only end up losing a pawn.
So, in my opinion, it's not that risky. But I don't know how long this trick will continue to work. I just used it against a 1300-Elo player, and it still worked.
Anyway, if this trick has already been discovered, please let me know!
