1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 opens the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 7.Bh4, ECO D56. With 1,150,521 games on record, the patterns below come from the largest practical sample available.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 6.Nf3. On the White side, Igor Naumkin (13 games), Gideon Stahlberg (12 games), Pia Cramling (12 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Oleg Korneev (38 games), David Marciano (27 games), Artur Jussupow (24 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
Popularity and results vary sharply by rating level. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 26,596 of them on record — with White winning 51% and Black 45%. By 1800, popularity is 0.04% and White's score is 49% to Black's 44.6%. At 2500, 0.11% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 14.7% — the line is well-mapped at this level. White's edge erodes by 6.7pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
Time Control Patterns
Look at the same opening across time controls and blitz stands out. In bullet, it appears in 0.02% of games (469,842); White wins 49.1%. Blitz shows 0.03% adoption across 978,039 games, White scoring 48.6%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.02% — 170,050 games, White 47.9%.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Looking at move selection shows how forcing — or not — the position really is. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Nc6, played 19.1% of the time. There are 6 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 48.3% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 3.22. By 2500, b6 dominates at 51.5% of replies; only 3 viable alternatives remain and 91.2% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.91. The narrowing is significant — strong players consolidate around a small set of best moves, while amateurs scatter across many plausible-looking options.
Main Lines and Variations
From the position after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4, the recognised continuations are:
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 56% — versus 66.3% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Ne4 (played 16.5% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Overextending the attack — Gambits look like permission to throw everything forward. They aren't — every attacking move should improve a piece. Random checks and threats burn the initiative once they fail to coordinate.
Practice on Chessiverse
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