Queen's Gambit Declined: the complete guide
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6
The classical choice par excellence: decline the c4 pawn and build an indestructible center. The backbone of Capablanca-Alekhine 1927 (32 games out of 34!) and a pillar of every world championship since.
How it starts, move by move
- 1. d4d4 occupies the center.
- ... d5d5 occupies the center.
- 2. c4c4 strikes at the center.
- ... e6e6 controls d5.
Both sides plans
White's plan
Occupy the center, develop quickly, castle, then pick a wing.
Black's plan
Contest the center before White occupies all of it.
What is actually played
Real shares of the continuations after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6, Lichess games by Elo band.
| Continuation | Elo 1400 | Elo 1600 | Elo 1800 | Elo 2000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3. Nc3 | 51 % | 57 % | 64 % | 65 % |
| 3... c5 | 2 % | 2 % | 2 % | 2 % |
The main variations
- Queen's Gambit DeclinedD301. d4 d5 2. c4 e6
- Queen's Knight VariationD311. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3
- Normal DefenseD351. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6
- Modern VariationD501. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5
- Three Knights VariationD371. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3
- Queen's Gambit DeclinedD531. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7
- Charousek VariationD311. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7
- Modern Variation, Normal LineD551. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7
- Orthodox DefenseD601. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7
- Exchange VariationD351. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5
- Albin CountergambitD081. d4 d5 2. c4 e5
- Exchange Variation, Positional VariationD351. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5
Frequently asked questions
- What moves start the Queen's Gambit Declined?
- The Queen's Gambit Declined starts with 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6. Every move is explained in the interactive explorer.
- How many named variations does the Queen's Gambit Declined have?
- 198 named variations, from the Lichess ECO database. The main ones are listed on this page; the full tree lives in the branch map.
- What is the most played continuation?
- Around 2000 Elo, the most frequent continuation is 3. Nc3, played in 65% of games (Lichess data).
- How can I learn the Queen's Gambit Declined for free?
- The explorer, free play, review cards and the essential ★1 course of the Queen's Gambit Declined are free on OpeningMate. The ★2 to ★5 levels and per-variation courses are part of Premium.
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