Starting from 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.Rc1 c6 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nd5, players enter the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Nd5 — ECO D67. With 22,983 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... 8.Bd3. On the White side, Alexander Alekhine (22 games), Ernst Gruenfeld (14 games), Milan Sr Vidmar (13 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Daniel H Campora (12 games), Petar Trifunovic (11 games), Gideon Stahlberg (11 games).
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Bxe7, played 91.4% of the time. There are 2 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 100% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 0.42. By 2500, Bxe7 dominates at 94% of replies; only 1 viable alternatives remain and 99.3% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 0.41. Even elite players don't fully agree on the best continuation here, which keeps the position dynamic.
Main Lines and Variations
After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 0-0 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.Rc1 c6 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nd5, the established follow-ups are:
Each branch leads to a different middlegame character — the resulting pawn structure decides what kind of game you get.
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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