Queen's Gambit Accepted, Deferred

ECO D25intermediate

Taking on c4 immediately invites White's most testing replies. The deferred version waits: Black develops the kingside knight first and grabs the pawn once White has committed to Nf3, which quietly removes several of the sharpest options. The pawn is not really being kept — as in every Queen's Gambit Accepted, it comes back — but the timing changes what White can do about it, and Black often follows with ...Bg4 to trade off the piece that would otherwise dominate the centre.

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Main line

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

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim in the center and giving the bishop and queen room to develop.
1...d5 Black answers in the center with d5, matching White's pawn and fighting for equal space right from the start.
2.Nf3 The knight jumps to f3, a strong central square. It guards the d4 pawn and prepares to support White's next moves.
2...Nf6 Nice and quick, the knight jumps out to f6, landing on a dark square. From here it watches the middle of the board and helps your pieces get ready for action. Bringing your knights out early is always a smart, friendly first step.
3.c4 White pushes the pawn to c4, challenging Black's d5 pawn and offering a trade. This is the Queen's Gambit — a very popular opening move!
3...dxc4 Black captures the pawn on c4 with the d5 pawn, accepting the Queen's Gambit. Black wins a pawn for now, but White will work to get it back.
4.e3 White plays e3, opening a path for the bishop on f1 to come out and helping White recapture the pawn on c4 soon.
4...Bg4 Black develops the bishop to g4, pinning the white knight on f3 to the queen. This puts gentle pressure on White's pieces.
5.Bxc4 The bishop captures the pawn on c4, taking back the pawn White gave up earlier. The bishop is now active on a strong diagonal.
5...e6 Black advances the pawn to e6, supporting the center and opening the diagonal for the dark-squared bishop to develop.
6.O-O White castles kingside, tucking the king safely behind the pawns and bringing the rook to f1 where it can be active.
6...a6 Black nudges the pawn to a6, a common move that stops White's pieces from jumping to b5 and gives Black some extra space on the queenside.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	635	43.3%	9.4%	47.2%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6
600-800	64	59.4%	3.1%	37.5%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6
800-1000	162	51.9%	4.3%	43.8%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O
1000-1200	34	61.8%	2.9%	35.3%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O
1200-1400	98	63.3%	3.1%	33.7%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O a6
1400-1600	213	51.2%	2.8%	46%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O a6
1600-1800	205	58.1%	4.4%	37.6%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O
1800-2000	213	48.8%	3.3%	47.9%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O
2000-2200	142	46.5%	8.5%	45.1%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O
2200-2400	45	35.6%	8.9%	55.6%	1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6 3.c4 dxc4 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.O-O a6

Most played continuations (400-600 rating)

After 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 Nf6:

Nc3 — played 40.5% of the time (White wins 42%, draws 11.3%, Black wins 46.7%)
e3 — played 15.7% of the time (White wins 49%, draws 8%, Black wins 43%)
Bf4 — played 9.8% of the time (White wins 45.2%, draws 4.8%, Black wins 50%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

Why delay taking the pawn?

To narrow White's choices. Against the immediate capture, White has aggressive tries that rely on the centre still being fluid; once Nf3 has been played those options shrink. It is a move-order refinement rather than a different opening, and the positions that result are largely the same ones, reached on Black's terms.

Can Black actually keep the extra pawn?

Almost never, and trying is the classic beginner error in every Queen's Gambit Accepted. Holding c4 with ...b5 loses time and weakens the queenside, and White regains the pawn with a large advantage. The pawn's purpose is to pull White's bishop to a square where Black can hit it with ...c5 and ...a6.

What kind of middlegame does Black get?

An open one with free piece play and a slight lack of space — often with an isolated queen's pawn structure for one side or the other after the central pawns are exchanged. It suits players who would rather have active pieces than a stable centre, which is the same instinct that makes the Tarrasch appealing.