Queen's Gambit
ECO D06-D69beginner
The Queen's Gambit, 1.d4 d5 2.c4, is the oldest strategic battle plan in chess: White offers the c-pawn to deflect Black's d5 pawn and claim the full center. It is not a real gambit — White always regains the pawn — but the question it poses shapes everything that follows. Black's three great answers each define a school of chess: decline with 2...e6 (the QGD), accept with 2...dxc4 (the QGA) and counterattack, or hold the pawn with 2...c6 (the Slav) keeping the light-squared bishop free.
Main line
1.d4 d5 2.c4 Bf5 3.Nc3 e6 4.Nf3 c6 5.Qb3 Qb6 6.c5 Qxb3 7.axb3
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.
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 | 35 | 57.1% | 0% | 42.9% | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 |
| 600-800 | 26 | 50% | 3.8% | 46.2% | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 |
| 800-1000 | 51 | 49% | 0% | 51% | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 |
| 1000-1200 | 144 | 47.9% | 2.1% | 50% | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 |
| 1200-1400 | 44 | 40.9% | 2.3% | 56.8% | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3 Qa5 |
Most played continuations (1000-1200 rating)
After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.Bg5 Nbd7 6.e3:
- Be7 — played 26.4% of the time (White wins 57.9%, draws 2.6%, Black wins 39.5%)
- h6 — played 22.9% of the time (White wins 42.4%, draws 0%, Black wins 57.6%)
- Bb4 — played 16.7% of the time (White wins 50%, draws 0%, Black wins 50%)
Related openings
Frequently asked questions
Why is it called a gambit if White always gets the pawn back?
Tradition. If Black tries to keep the c4 pawn with ...b5 and ...a6, moves like a4 and Ne5 win it back by force — often with interest. The 'gambit' is really a trade of Black's central d-pawn for White's flank c-pawn, which is the strategic point of 2.c4.
Should I decline or accept the Queen's Gambit?
Declining with 2...e6 or 2...c6 is the classical recommendation: Black keeps a stake in the center and learns the carlsbad and slav structures that underpin all of d4 chess. Accepting is fully sound too, but demands more concrete play — Black must hit back with ...c5 and ...e5 breaks before White's center rolls.
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