Queen's Gambit Accepted

ECO D20-D29intermediate

The Queen's Gambit Accepted, 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4, takes the offered pawn and gives back the center — temporarily. Black's plan is concrete: rapid development with ...Nf6, ...e6, ...c5 and ...a6/...b5, hitting d4 before White's spatial edge tells. The critical test is 3.e4, building the broad center immediately; the main line 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 leads to isolated-queen-pawn positions after ...c5 that have been a laboratory of chess strategy for a century.

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Main line

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

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.

White advances the pawn to d4, taking a strong spot in the center. This opens lines for the queen and bishop and starts a fight for the middle of the board.
Black answers by pushing the pawn to d5, matching White right in the center. Both sides now have a pawn face-to-face, and the battle for control begins.
White pushes the pawn to c4, offering it as a gift — this is the Queen's Gambit! White challenges Black's center pawn and prepares to gain more space.
Black captures the pawn on c4 with dxc4 — Black accepts the Queen's Gambit! The pawn grabs the extra piece, but now White can build a strong center.
The knight leaps to f3, a great central square. From here it supports the center, eyes the e5 square, and helps White develop quickly.
Black's knight jumps to f6, mirroring White's development. It defends the center and puts pressure on the d5 square while helping Black get ready to castle.
White pushes the pawn to e3, opening a path for the bishop on f1. This move supports the center and prepares to get the bishop out into the game.
Black pushes the pawn to e6, giving the dark-squared bishop a chance to come out. The pawn also helps guard the d5 square and keeps the position solid.
The bishop captures the pawn on c4 with Bxc4, taking back the pawn Black grabbed earlier. The bishop is now very active, pointing toward the center and kingside.
Black advances the pawn to c5, challenging White's pawn on d4. This is a bold move that fights for the center and gives Black's pieces more room to work.
White castles kingside with O-O, tucking the king safely behind the pawns and connecting the rooks. The king is much safer here than in the middle of the board.
Black pushes the pawn to a6, stopping White's bishop from jumping to b5. It's a small but smart move that takes away an important square from White's pieces.

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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	27	70.4%	3.7%	25.9%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3
600-800	44	45.5%	0%	54.5%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5
800-1000	143	48.2%	2.8%	49%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O
1000-1200	42	52.4%	7.1%	40.5%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O
1200-1400	201	48.8%	5%	46.3%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6
1400-1600	629	47.4%	7.6%	45%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6
1600-1800	136	35.3%	7.4%	57.4%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6
1800-2000	377	43.5%	8%	48.5%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6
2000-2200	841	44.1%	10.6%	45.3%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6
2200-2400	1,188	45.5%	11.9%	42.7%	1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6

Most played continuations (2200-2400 rating)

After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6:

a4 — played 25.4% of the time (White wins 42.7%, draws 9.6%, Black wins 47.7%)
dxc5 — played 21% of the time (White wins 44.4%, draws 18.4%, Black wins 37.2%)
Qe2 — played 16.2% of the time (White wins 41.1%, draws 7.3%, Black wins 51.6%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

Can Black keep the extra pawn in the QGA?

Not safely. After tries like 3...b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.b3 White regains it with a large advantage. The QGA's philosophy is the opposite: give the pawn back gracefully and use the time White spends recapturing for active development and the ...c5 break.

Is the QGA solid or risky?

Deceptively solid — it has served as the defensive backbone of multiple world championship matches. The open positions demand activity rather than structure-tending, so it suits players who would rather develop pieces and counterattack than defend the QGD's cramped quarters.