1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.Qc2 c5 8.cxd5 opens the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 8.cxd5, ECO D62. With 8,614 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... 7.Qc2. On the White side, Salo Flohr (14 games), Pia Cramling (6 games), Predrag Nikolic (5 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Eduard Prandstetter (8 games), Andrei V Kharitonov (7 games), Raset Ziatdinov (7 games).
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 8.cxd5. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Nxd5, played 46.6% of the time. There are 3 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 99.2% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.43. By 2500, Nxd5 dominates at 53.3% of replies; only 3 viable alternatives remain and 100% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.42. Even elite players don't fully agree on the best continuation here, which keeps the position dynamic.
Common Mistakes
- 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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