Queen's Gambit Declined
Also called the QGD.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6
A defense for Black
Refuse the gambit, reinforce the centre, and build a fortress.
Show me the opening
0 / 4 moves
Win likelihood
Black ~47%Our chess engine scores this position at about 47% for Black - theoretically harder, but very playable. From here it would play cxd5.
Most openings are close - the first move gives White a small edge. What actually wins games at the beginner level is playing the plan and not hanging pieces, far more than which opening you pick. How we score this.
The idea
Black declines the gambit with ...e6, building a solid centre that's hard to crack. The downside is that the light-squared bishop gets temporarily locked in behind the e6 pawn.
The plan
Develop with ...Nf6, ...Be7, and ...O-O. Then play ...c6 and ...Nbd7 for a solid Slav-QGD hybrid, or go for ...dxc4 to free the position. Counterplay comes from the c-file and queenside.
What to play next
After developing with ...Nf6 and ...Be7 and castling, play ...Nbd7 to complete development. White brings a rook to c1 to pressure c5. Black plays ...c6 to solidify the centre and give the queen a path to a5 or b6. The resulting position is solid and requires patient, strategic play.
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 Nbd7 7.Rc1 c6
Watch the typical continuation
Show me the opening
0 / 14 moves
One tip for beginners
Castle early and don't worry about the 'bad' light-squared bishop yet. Once you've developed, ...b6 and ...Ba6 can trade it off at the right time.
What to watch out for
Don't ignore White's minority attack (b4-b5 on the queenside). Be ready to meet it with ...a5 to stop b5.
Is this opening working for you?
Free. Chess2EZ shows your win rate by opening and explains where each game goes wrong.
Analyze my games →