Starting from 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5 c6 6.Qc2, players enter the Queen's Gambit Declined: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 6.Qc2 — ECO D36. Across rating levels it shows up in 276,881 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... Nf6. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Aleksej Aleksandrov (8 games), Simon Bekker Jensen (8 games), Radoslaw Wojtaszek (7 games). Black-side regulars include Robert Rabiega (9 games), Uwe Boensch (9 games), Dibyendu Barua (7 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
The picture changes a lot as you climb the rating ladder. Among 1200-rated players, it appears in 0.00% of games — 785 of them on record — with White winning 53.9% and Black 42.8%. At 1800 the opening surfaces in 0.01% of games; White wins 54.6%, Black 40.5%, draws 4.9%. At the top end (2500+ Elo), popularity is 0.05% with 10.2% draws — a clear sign of how much theory rules the line at master level. White's edge erodes by 7.3pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
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 43.2% of the time. There are 5 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 75.4% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 2.38. By 2500, Be7 dominates at 45.9% of replies; only 5 viable alternatives remain and 78.8% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 2.30. Move diversity stays high even at master level, suggesting the opening doesn't force one specific response.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 72.7% — versus 80.4% at 2000. The most popular deviation is h6 (played 22.7% 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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