1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.e3 c6 6.Nf3 opens the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 6.Nf3, ECO D52. Across rating levels it shows up in 1,556,990 recorded games — enough data to map exactly where it succeeds and where it stalls.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Nbd7. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Pia Cramling (21 games), Ernst Gruenfeld (16 games), Alexander Moiseenko (15 games). Black-side regulars include Sergey Smagin (27 games), Aleksey Dreev (27 games), Dragisa Blagojevic (19 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
How well the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 6.Nf3 works depends on what level you're playing at. At 1200 Elo, the opening shows up in 0.00% of games (25,044 samples). White scores 51%, Black 45.4%, draws 3.6%. Move up to 1800 Elo and the share shifts to 0.06%, with White winning 47.9% versus Black's 46.8%. Among 2500-rated players the line appears in 0.11% of games and draws spike to 10.7%, indicating tight preparation. Positions also become less sharp as level rises (sharpness 0.96 → 0.89).
Time Control Patterns
Time control matters here: blitz players reach for this opening more than others. In bullet, it appears in 0.02% of games (642,370); White wins 50.3%. Blitz shows 0.04% adoption across 1,343,558 games, White scoring 48.9%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.02% — 210,518 games, White 47.5%. White's score swings 2.8pp across formats, so time control isn't just a stylistic choice here — it shifts the actual results.
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 Be7, played 29.4% of the time. There are 5 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 65.7% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.85. By 2500, Qa5 dominates at 60.2% of replies; only 3 viable alternatives remain and 91% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.71. That entropy collapse is the signature of a line where preparation pays off: at the top, players know the best move and play it.
Historical Trends
Long-term, the trajectory of this opening is informative. Adoption peaked in 2013 at 0.05% (1,447 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.03% — a 43% shift overall, leaving the line in decline.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 64.8% — versus 83.6% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Bb4 (played 21.9% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
- 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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