Queen's Gambit Declined

The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening, a primary line of the Queen's Gambit beginning with the moves: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6

Instead of taking the pawn offered by White on c4 (the Queen's Gambit Accepted), Black defends the d-pawn with 2...e6 (the "Orthodox" Queen's Gambit Declined).ChessOps – QGAM-03A "Queen's Gambit Declined" usually refers to 2...e6; see "Other second moves for Black" for additional options that decline White's offered pawn.

The most common continuation is 3.Nc3 Nf6 (covered by ECO codes D35–D69), after which White may continue with 4.Bg5, leading to the Classical Variation and others; 4.cxd5, the Exchange Variation; or 4.Nf3, the Three Knights Variation. 3...c6, 3...c5, and 3...Be7 are also common for Black, as is 3.Nf3 for White.

The Queen's Gambit Declined can be also reached by transposition from a number of other . A common example is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5, where White avoids the Nimzo-Indian Defense (3.Nc3 Bb4). Other examples include 1.d4 e6 2.c4 d5 (from the Franco-Indian Defense); 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 (from the English Opening); 1.Nf3 d5 2.c4 e6 3.d4 (from the Reti Opening); and so on.

The opening has a long history of play. It became particularly common in the early 20th century. Of the 34 games played in the 1927 World Championship between Alexander Alekhine and José Raúl Capablanca, all except the first and third began with the Queen's Gambit Declined.

General concepts Playing 2...e6 releases Black's , while obstructing Black's . By declining White's temporary pawn sacrifice, Black erects a solid position; the pawns on d5 and e6 give Black a foothold in the . The Queen's Gambit Declined has the reputation of being one of Black's most reliable defenses to 1.d4. In this situation, White will try to exploit the passivity of Black's light-squared bishop, and Black will try to release it, trade it, or prove that, while passive, the bishop has a useful defensive role.

An eventual ...dxc4 by Black will surrender the center to White, and Black will usually not do this unless Black can extract a concession, usually in the form of gaining a tempo, by capturing on c4 only after White has played Bd3 first. In the Orthodox Line, the fight for the tempo revolves around White's efforts to play all other useful developing moves prior to playing Bd3. Black will often aim for the pawn break ...c5 in this opening, which often leads to one or the other side accepting isolated or hanging pawns in exchange for dynamic compensation.

Traditional line: 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5

4.Bg5 was the most common move in the 20th century, although 4.cxd5 (the Exchange Variation) has gradually become more common. Black's most common reply is 4...Be7, where play typically continues 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 (or 5.Nf3 0-0 6.e3). The line is also commonly reached by transposition from the Three Knights Variation after 4.Nf3 Be7 5.Bg5, though this gives White the option of playing the Harrwitz Attack (5.Bf4) instead.

If Black chooses to continue with 6...h6, this is considered the Neo-Orthodox Variation,Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 270. Neo-orthodox Variation. which leads to the Tartakower Variation, Lasker Variation, and Anti-Tartakower Variation; these variations are also commonly reached via 5...h6 6.Bh4 0-0 7.Nf3 (or 7.e3, if Nf3 was played earlier in the game), but 4...h6 is weak due to 5.Bxf6, where 5...gxf6 6.cxd5 exd5 gives Black doubled isolated pawns and 5...Qxf6 6.cxd5 exd5 7.Nxd5 loses a pawn. Omitting ...h6 is characteristic of the Classical Variation.

Classical Variation: 4...Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 Nbd7

The Classical Variation,Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 81. Classical Variation. also known as the Orthodox Defense, most often continues 7.Rc1 c6, where White's most common move is then 8.Bd3. After 8...dxc4 9.Bxc4, Black has surrendered the center and stands somewhat cramped, but has succeeded in making White lose a tempo by playing Bd3 before Bxc4. White will try to use the advantage in space to attack, whereas Black will try to keep White at bay while striking back at the center.

José Raúl Capablanca introduced the idea here of the freeing maneuver 9...Nd5 10.Bxe7 Qxe7 11.0-0 Nxc3 12.Rxc3 e5 13.dxe5 Nxe5 14.Nxe5 Qxe5 15.f4 Qe7, which leads to a number of central exchanges, though Black must exercise care even in the wake of this simplification. This line was once so frequently played that it has a separate code (D69) in ECO, though the lack of active counter play for Black has made the main line of the Orthodox a backwater in modern practice.

Alternative lines for Black include 9...b5, kicking White's bishop and allowing Black to fianchetto with ...Bb7, and 7...a6. For White, the most common deviations from the main line with 7.Rc1 c6 8.Bd3 are 7.Qc2 and 8.Qc2, both frequently played by Akiba Rubinstein. An immediate 7.Bd3 is also possible, but Black benefits from being able to play ...c5 without having already played ...c6. 7.cxd5 tends to lead to common lines in the Exchange Variation after 7...exd5, but also permits 7...Nxd5.

Tartakower Variation: 6...h6 7.Bh4 b6

The Tartakower VariationHooper & Whyld (1996), p. 414. Tartakower Variation. or Tartakower–Makogonov–Bondarevsky System (TMB system) is one of the most solid continuations for Black.

Lasker Variation: 6...h6 7.Bh4 Ne4

The Lasker Variation,Hooper & Whyld (1996), p. 219. Lasker Variation. is also a solid line, often leading to the exchange of two sets of minor pieces. It was this line that Viswanathan Anand chose in the final game of the World Chess Championship 2010 in order to defeat Veselin Topalov and retain the world championship. The typical continuation is 8.Bxe7 Qxe7.

Anti-Tartakower Variation: 6...h6 7.Bxf6 Also known as the Anti-Tartakower–Makogonov–Bondarevsky (Anti-TMB), this line was extensively tested in the Kasparov–Karpov matches in 1980s. To this day Black has no problems in this line despite being tested at the highest levels. More recently, Boris Gelfand defended the Black side of this variation in the 2011 candidates matches which eventually he went on to win. For example, in the third round of the final candidate match, he forced White to accept a draw in 14 moves with a very strong novelty.

Cambridge Springs Defense: 4...Nbd7 5.e3 c6 6.Nf3 Qa5

4...Nbd7 sets up the Elephant Trap, but if White avoids it, the common continuation 5.e3 c6 6.Nf3 allows Black to play 6...Qa5 (ECO D52), the Cambridge Spring Defense. The first recorded use of the Cambridge Springs was by Emanuel Lasker in 1892. The name derives from a 1904 tournament in Cambridge Springs, Pennsylvania, where it was played several times. Alexander Alekhine defeated José Raúl Capablanca with it in the World Chess Championship 1927.Capablanca vs. Alekhine Magnus Carlsen used it in a victory against Boris Gelfand in the World Chess Championship 2013 Candidates Tournament.Gelfand vs. Carlsen

Black breaks the pin of the knight to the queen on the h4–d8 diagonal and pins White's knight on c3 to the king. If Black later plays dxc4, there may be tactics involving discovered attacks on White's bishop on g5. Black intends ...Bb4 and possibly ...Ne4, with pressure along the a5–e1 diagonal. 7.Nd2 is the main reply, countering Black's pressure along the diagonal. 7.cxd5, resolving central tension, is also possible, with the most common continuation being 7...Nxd5 8.Qd2 Bb4 9.Rc1. 7.Bxf6 is another option, preventing any discovered attack tactics on the bishop.

The line contains several traps White can fall into. For example, after 7.Nd2 Bb4 8.Qc2 0-0, 9.Bd3 loses since 9...dxc4 (threatening ...Qxg5) 10.Bxf6 cxd3! (a zwischenzug) 11.Qxd3 Nxf6 wins a piece for Black.

White can avoid the Cambridge Springs by playing cxd5 earlier, transposing to the Exchange Variation after 5.cxd5 exd5 or 6.cxd5 exd5. Another alternative is 6.a3, which has been played by Capablanca.

Exchange Variation: 4.cxd5

After 4.cxd5, the usual continuation is 4...exd5 5.Bg5. White has a pawn majority in the center, but Black has a pawn majority on the . This pawn structure gives White the opportunity to either advance the center pawns by means of Nge2, f2–f3, followed by e2–e4, or play for a minority attack by means of the plan Rb1, followed by b2–b4–b5, then bxc6 in order to create a weak pawn at c6. While Black can play ...cxb5, or recapture on c6 with a piece, each of these possibilities is even less desirable than the backward pawn in the open file. For Black, exchanging at d5 has released the light-squared bishop and opened the e-file, giving Black the use of e4 as a springboard for central and play. While chances are balanced, Black is usually more or less forced to use the superior activity to launch a piece attack on White's king, as the long-term chances in the QGD Exchange structure favor White. The following games are model games for White: Central pawn advance: Carlsen–Jakovenko, Nanjing 2009 Minority attack: Evans–Opsahl, Dubrovnik 1950

Black's fifth move must respond to White's threat of 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.Nxd5, winning a pawn, or 6...gxf6, inflicting doubled isolated pawns. The most common replies, 5...c6 and 5...Be7, usually transpose to the same line. 5...Bb4+, 5...Nbd7, and 5...Be6 are notable alternatives. After 5...c6, the main line continues 6.e3 Be7 7.Bd3 Nbd7 8.Qc2 0-0 (or 8...Nh5), followed by either 9.Nf3 or 9.Nge2, and then, regardless of White's ninth move, 9...Re8 10.0-0 Nf8, followed by 11.h3 (for 9.Nf3) and 11.f3 (for 9.Nge2). The resulting two positions are also often reached by many other move orders (such as castling earlier). After this point, many different moves are common, with no clear main line.

Two possible deviations from the line include 6.Qc2, the Reshevsky Variation (although transposition back to the main line is common), and 6...Bf5, which often leads to an endgame after 7.Qf3 Bg6 8.Bxf6 Qxf6 9.Qxf6 gxf6. Another possibility is to play ...h6 at some point. The most common such line, also commonly reached by other move orders, is 5...c6 6.e3 h6 7.Bh4 Be7 8.Bd3 0-0 9.Nge2 Re8 10.0-0 Nbd7 11.Qc2. Although 11...Nf8, similarly to the lines without ...h6, is possible, 11...Nh5, 11...Ne4, and 11...a5 are more commonly played.

Black also has the option to play 4...Nxd5 instead of the more common 4...exd5, which most often ends up transposing to the Semi-Tarrasch Defense after 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Nf3, though White may play 7.Rb1 or 7.a3.

Three Knights Variation: 4.Nf3

The Three Knights Variation of the QGD is more often reached from the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3, played to avoid the Nimzo-Indian Defense (from White's point of view) and the Exchange Variation of the QGD (from Black's point of view). Black has a few options in response. After 4...Be7, 5.Bg5 transposes to the traditional line of the QGD, but White can avoid this, most notably with 5.Bf4.

Ragozin Variation: 4...Bb4

The Ragozin Variation (ECO code D37–D39) occurs after Black plays 4...Bb4 in the Three Knights Variation. White has the main options of 5.Bg5, 5.cxd5, and 5.Qa4+, the Alekhine Variation, with the usual continuation 5...Nc6 6.e3 0-0 and then 7.Qc2 or 7.Bd2.

After 5.Bg5, Black has the options of 5...h6, 5...Nbd7, and 5...dxc4, transposing to the Vienna Variation, with the common continuation 6.e4 c5 7.Bxc4 cxd4 8.Nxd4. After 5...h6, the usual continuation is 6.Bxf6 (6.Bh4 is well met by 6...dxc4) Qxf6 7.e3 (or 7.Qa4+ Nc6 8.e3 0-0) 0-0 8.Rc1 dxc4 9.Bxc4 c5 10.0-0 cxd4 11.Ne4 (or 11.Nxd4) Qe7. 5...Nbd7 most often continues 6.e3 c5, the Westphalian Variation, or the same moves after an exchange, 6.cxd5 exd5 7.e3 c5.

After 5.cxd5, the usual continuation is 5...exd5 6.Bg5 h6 7.Bh4 0-0 8.e3 Bf5. This avoids the potential transposition into the Vienna.

Semi-Slav Defense: 4...c6

The Semi-Slav Defense occurs after Black plays 4...c6 in the Three Knights Variation.

Semi-Tarrasch Defense: 4...c5

The Semi-Tarrasch Defense occurs after Black plays 4...c5 in the Three Knights Variation.