Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 Qa5

ECO D52

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense is a chess opening line in the Queen's Gambit Declined complex, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 Qa5.

It is catalogued under code D52 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

The defining move Qa5 is chosen by Black on move 6.

5 named continuations branch from this position, including the Argentine Variation and the Bogoljubow Variation.

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense is a line of the Queen's Gambit Declined. The Queen's Gambit Declined is a chess opening that begins 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6. Read the complete Queen's Gambit Declined guide: what it is, how to reach it, its main variations, how to play against it, and its history.

Named variations

• Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation — ECO D52
• Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Bogoljubow Variation — ECO D52
• Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Capablanca Variation — ECO D52
• Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Rubinstein Variation — ECO D52
• Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Yugoslav Variation — ECO D52

Study this line with a grandmaster

This position is covered in the Slav Defense 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.