- The moves1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4
- OpeningQueen's Gambit
- Chosen byBlack
- ECOD20–D29
- Also calledQGA
The Queen's Gambit Accepted comes after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4. Black leaves the center for a moment and takes the pawn on c4. It isn't really a gambit, since Black can't keep the pawn without drawbacks, and Black's plan is a different one: let White take the pawn back, develop in the meantime and then strike at White's center with …c5. White often ends up with an isolated pawn on d4.
The opening is mentioned in the literature as early as the 15th century, but the modern ideas arrived with the first world championship match in 1886, between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort. Until then Black had tried to hold on to the pawn. Steinitz gave it back and played against the isolated pawn on d4. Alexander Alekhine added new ideas, and from the 1930s the opening was played at the highest level. After World War II the Indian defenses took over, but at the end of the 1990s the Queen's Gambit Accepted returned among the world's elite, and today it is considered sound.
The Mannheim Variation, 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4+, is named after one of the cities where the 1934 world championship match was played. Sweden's Ulf Andersson is one of the grandmasters who have played it several times.
The main line, move by move
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O a6 7. Qe2 b5 8. Bb3 Bb7 9. Rd1 Nbd7 10. Nc3
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The plans
White wants to
- Take the center with e4 when possible.
- Play with the isolated pawn on d4 if it arises: a kingside attack, a knight on e5 and the d4–d5 break.
- Put the bishop on b3 or c2 and aim at Black's king.
Black wants to
- Strike at d4 with …c5 and, if White recaptures with a pawn, play against the isolated pawn.
- Gain time with …a6 and …b5 against the bishop and put Black's own bishop on b7.
- Trade pieces: the fewer pieces, the weaker an isolated pawn becomes.
The pawn structure
White has five pawns against four in the center and on the kingside, Black three against two on the queenside. The tension between d4 and c5 often decides what kind of game it becomes.
If Black takes on d4 and White recaptures with the e-pawn, White gets an isolated pawn on d4. It is strong in the middlegame, since it gives space and supports knights on c5 and e5, but it becomes a weakness as the pieces come off.
Important lines
3.e4: the Central Variation
With 3.e4 White builds a big center at once. The move is old but became popular again in the 1990s, and anyone who plays the Queen's Gambit Accepted has to be ready for it. Black's main reply is to strike back with 3…e5.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 Nc6 6. O-O Be6
Salvio's trap: 3.e3 b5
Holding on to the pawn usually backfires. As early as 1604, Alessandro Salvio showed how 3.e3 b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 goes wrong: after 6.Qf3 the rook on a8 stands unprotected on the long diagonal, and White wins at least a minor piece. The trap isn't just history: many club players have fallen into it, as the numbers further down show.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Qf3
7.dxc5: an early queen trade
With 7.dxc5 the queens come off early, and the game often ends in an early draw. Other modern choices in the same position are 7.Bb3, which meets 7…b5 with 8.a4, and 7.a4, which Mikhail Botvinnik played in his 1963 world championship match against Tigran Petrosian.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O a6 7. dxc5 Qxd1 8. Rxd1 Bxc5
7. dxc5
White trades in the center and offers a queen trade.
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How it goes in real games
How the games ended once they had reached the positions, in blitz, rapid and classical games. White wins, draws and Black wins, as a percentage of the games. A position counts however the game got there.
| Position | Level | Games | White wins | Draw | Black wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen's Gambit Accepted 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 | Club players | 22,048,651 | 55% | 5% | 41% |
| Strong players | 3,270,293 | 51% | 6% | 43% | |
| Queen's Gambit Accepted, main line 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O | Club players | 263,582 | 46% | 10% | 44% |
| Strong players | 185,962 | 46% | 11% | 43% | |
| 3.e4: the Central Variation 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 | Club players | 196,459 | 53% | 6% | 41% |
| Strong players | 93,564 | 53% | 7% | 40% | |
| Salvio's trap: 3.e3 b5 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Qf3 | Club players | 315,927 | 78% | 3% | 19% |
| Strong players | 15,421 | 79% | 3% | 18% |
The most common moves after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4
Share of the games in the position, for club players and strong players. A dash means the move isn't among the most common in that group.
| Move | Club players | Strong players |
|---|---|---|
| 3.Nc3 | 39% (8,498,344) | 33% (1,082,848) |
| 3.e3 | 26% (5,675,858) | 24% (773,755) |
| 3.e4 | 21% (4,673,734) | 18% (587,253) |
| 3.Nf3 | 11% (2,435,559) | 23% (757,974) |
| 3.Qa4+ | 2% (367,249) | – |
Source: games on Lichess, fetched November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026. Club players means games where the players average 1600 or more, strong players games where they average 2000 or more. Positions that aren't in our numbers aren't shown.
Explore the position on the analysis board: the moves club players choose from here, how the games tend to end, and what Lavi thinks of each move.
The main line with all the comments as text
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 The Queen's Gambit Accepted. Black gives up the center for a while to get free development. 3. Nf3 The main line in the books. The knight stops …e5, and White is in no hurry to take the pawn back. Club players choose 3.Nc3 or 3.e3 more often, as the numbers further down show. 3… Nf6 Black develops and keeps an eye on e4. 4. e3 White opens the way for the bishop, which will soon take the pawn back. 4… e6 5. Bxc4 The pawn is back, and material is level. 5… c5 Black strikes at d4, just as Steinitz showed. 6. O-O a6 Black prepares …b5, which chases the bishop and gains time. 7. Qe2 The old main line. The queen makes room for the rook on d1 and supports e4 later. 7… b5 The bishop is chased. 8. Bb3 Bb7 The bishop takes the long diagonal and aims at e4 and g2. 9. Rd1 The rook lines up opposite Black's queen on the d-file. 9… Nbd7 10. Nc3 The knight is out, and only the bishop on c1 and the rook on a1 are still at home. According to theory Black can equalize here, and the position is balanced.
Read more
Queen's Gambit
2.c4 challenges d5. The classical d4 opening, with a Swedish variation among its lines.
Slav Defense
2…c6: solid as a wall, and the bishop on c8 is free.
Every move on this page has been checked against the rules of chess.
Updated November 14, 2026
2… dxc4
The Queen's Gambit Accepted. Black gives up the center for a while to get free development.