Queen's Gambit Accepted

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4

ECO D20

The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a chess opening reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4, catalogued under code D20 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

The defining move dxc4 is chosen by Black on move 2.

26 named continuations branch from this position, including the Accelerated Mannheim Variation and the Alekhine System.

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a chess opening that begins 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4. Black takes the offered pawn, not to keep it but to give up the center for a moment and strike back at it with ...c5 and ...e6, reaching an open, classical position with free development. It is the most direct of the Queen's Gambit defenses and one of the oldest openings in chess.

Its reputation has swung for a century. Once thought inferior because it concedes the center, it was rehabilitated by Alekhine and later by Karpov, Anand and Kramnik, who showed that the extra tempo White gains regaining the pawn buys only a small edge if Black develops accurately. Today it is a reliable choice for players who want the Queen's Gambit structures without the cramped bishop of the Declined, and a favorite in rapid chess for its simplicity.

How to reach the Queen's Gambit Accepted

After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Black plays 2...dxc4. White's third move defines the system: 3.Nf3 is the main line, keeping 3...e5 out and aiming for 4.e3 and Bxc4, after which 4...e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 is the classical tabiya; 3.e4 is the ambitious Central Variation, meeting 3...e5 or 3...Nf6; 3.e3 regains the pawn at once and allows 3...e5; 3.Qa4+ and 3.Nc3 are the rare tries. Black's attempt to keep the pawn with ...b5 fails to a4, which is why the opening is not a real gambit.

Pros and cons of the Queen's Gambit Accepted

Pros

Cons

Main variations of the Queen's Gambit Accepted

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical main line (3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5)

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

The tabiya of the opening. White regains the pawn, castles and prepares dxc5 or the isolated-pawn structure after ...cxd4; Black gains space on the queenside with ...a6 and ...b5, develops the bishop to b7 and completes development with ...Nbd7 and ...Be7. White's 7.Qe2 prepares Rd1 and dxc5; 7.a4 and 7.Bb3 are the main alternatives. Balanced and rich in plans for both sides.

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation (3.e4)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Nc6 6.O-O Be6 7.Bxe6 fxe6 8.Qb3 Qd7

White takes the whole center immediately and Black must react at once with 3...e5, 3...Nf6 or 3...c5. After 3...e5 4.Nf3 exd4 the play is open and tactical, with White's lead in development against Black's extra pawn; the trade on e6 and Qb3 shown here is the sharpest continuation. A good choice for attacking players with White, and a line Black must know precisely.

Queen's Gambit Accepted: 3.e3 and the ...e5 break

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.O-O O-O

White regains the pawn at once, which allows the freeing 3...e5. After the exchanges White has an isolated d-pawn and active pieces, Black a solid position and a target. It is the least ambitious of White's third moves and a comfortable choice for Black, who equalizes with natural development.

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Variation (3.Nf3 a6)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 a6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O Nf6

Black plays ...a6 first, preparing ...b5 and keeping the option of ...Bg4 before ...e6, which solves the bishop problem elegantly. Named after Alekhine, who used it in the 1930s; the modern main line puts the bishop on g4 and follows with ...e6, ...Nbd7 and ...Bd6.

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Mannheim Variation (3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4+)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4+ Nc6 5.Nc3 Nd5 6.Qxc4 Nb6 7.Qd3 e5

White checks to regain the pawn with the queen and keep the e-pawn flexible. Black's ...Nc6 and ...Nd5 hit back in the center, and the queen's early journey costs White time. Solid but rare at master level; a practical try against opponents who know only the 4.e3 lines.

Queen's Gambit Accepted: keeping the pawn with 3...b5 (why it fails)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Qf3 Nc6 7.Qxc6+ Bd7 8.Qxb5

The beginner's attempt to hold the extra pawn. After 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Qf3 the queen attacks a8 and c6 at once, and Black loses material. This is the reason the Queen's Gambit is not a real gambit and the first thing a Queen's Gambit Accepted player must know.

How to play against the Queen's Gambit Accepted

White has two sound philosophies. The main line 3.Nf3 and 4.e3 regains the pawn calmly and plays for a small, lasting edge: after 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6, use 7.Qe2 and Rd1 to prepare dxc5 or the isolated-pawn middlegame, and meet ...b5 with Bb3 or the a4 lever. The Central Variation 3.e4 is the ambitious try, taking the whole center and accepting a sharp fight after 3...e5 or 3...Nf6; it demands precise knowledge and rewards it. Against the Alekhine ...a6 setups, play a4 early to stop ...b5 or allow it and undermine with a4 later. Whatever the line, remember that Black's whole plan is ...c5: when it comes, decide between dxc5 for a symmetrical game and d5 for space, and do not let the b7-bishop and the queenside majority take over the endgame.

Plans for both sides

White's plan

Regain the pawn with Bxc4, castle, and use the tempo for the center: prepare dxc5 or d5 with Qe2 and Rd1, play a4 against ...b5, and use the isolated d-pawn as a battering ram for a kingside attack before the endgame. Keep the light-squared bishop active on the a2-g8 diagonal.

Black's plan

Give the pawn back, strike with ...c5, develop the bishop to b7 or g4, and gain space with ...a6 and ...b5. Complete development with ...Nbd7 and ...Be7, break with ...cxd4 or ...c4 at the right moment, and steer for an endgame where the queenside majority and the isolated d-pawn favor Black.

History of the Queen's Gambit Accepted

The acceptance of the gambit appears in the earliest chess manuscripts and in Ruy López's 1561 book. Steinitz and Tarrasch considered it inferior because it gives up the center, and it was a rare guest until Alekhine used it in the 1930s and showed the ...a6 setups. Bronstein, Smyslov and later Karpov and Kasparov kept it in their repertoires, and Anand and Kramnik made it a world-championship defense in the 1990s and 2000s. It remains the choice of players who want Queen's Gambit positions with free development.

Queen's Gambit Accepted FAQ

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted a good opening?

Yes. It is fully sound and has been used in world championship matches by Anand and Kramnik. Black gives back the pawn for free development and a clear plan with ...c5; White keeps only a small edge with accurate play.

Should you accept or decline the Queen's Gambit?

Both are sound. Accepting leads to open positions with free development and the ...c5 break; declining with 2...e6 gives a more solid center but a harder time freeing the c8-bishop. Players who dislike cramped positions usually prefer accepting.

Can Black keep the pawn in the Queen's Gambit Accepted?

No. Trying to hold it with ...b5 loses to a4, and after ...c6 and axb5 cxb5 the queen check on f3 or a4 wins material. The pawn is a loan; the plan is to return it for a good position.

What is the main line of the Queen's Gambit Accepted?

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6, after which White chooses between 7.Qe2, 7.a4 and 7.Bb3 and Black continues with ...b5, ...Bb7 and ...Nbd7.

What is the ECO code for the Queen's Gambit Accepted?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted is classified under ECO D20 to D29: D20 for the early sidelines and the Central Variation, D21 to D24 for 3.Nf3 lines, and D25 to D29 for the classical 4.e3 main lines.

Named variations

Study this line with a grandmaster

This position is covered in the Beat the Queen's Gambit Accepted course: a GM-authored repertoire you study move by move, then practice against a human-like AI opponent.

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