Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3

ECO D21

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation is a chess opening line in the Queen's Gambit Accepted complex, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3.

It is catalogued under code D21 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

The defining move Nf3 is chosen by White on move 3.

One named continuation branches from this position: the Traditional System.

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation is a line of the Queen's Gambit Accepted. The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a chess opening that begins 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4. Read the complete Queen's Gambit Accepted guide: what it is, how to reach it, its main variations, how to play against it, and its history.

Named variations

• Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System — ECO D26

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.

Every chess term used here is defined in the chess terms glossary. Browse all opening courses or the full ECO code index.