Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3

ECO D31

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation is a chess opening line in the Queen's Gambit Declined complex, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3.

It is catalogued under code D31 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).

The defining move Nc3 is chosen by White on move 3.

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation 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.

More ECO D31 openings

• Semi-Slav Defense — 1.d4

Study this line with a grandmaster

This position is covered in the Opening Tricks Hall of Fame 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.