Queen's Gambit
A classic chess opening where White offers a pawn to gain control of the center. The foundation of positional chess understanding.
White stakes a claim in the center.
Black mirrors, controlling the center.
The Queen's Gambit! White offers a pawn to undermine Black's d5.
Queen's Gambit Accepted - Black takes the pawn and holds onto it.
White develops and prepares to recover the pawn.
Black develops naturally. The battle begins.
The classic response. Black supports d5 and maintains the center. The most theoretical variation.
AnalyzeA solid defense where Black supports d5 with c6. Preserves the light-squared bishop.
AnalyzeBlack takes the pawn and tries to hold it. Leads to active piece play.
AnalyzeA hybrid of the Declined and Slav. Rich in theory and sharp possibilities.
AnalyzeA sharp gambit where Black sacrifices a pawn for active play. Dangerous but risky.
AnalyzeMaster the Queen's Gambit with Pro
Save Queen's Gambit variations to your repertoire and practice with spaced repetition.
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Understand the Queen's Gambit, not just the moves
The Queen's Gambit appears in manuscripts from the fifteenth century and became a cornerstone of classical chess. The c-pawn offer aims to remove Black's d5 pawn rather than win by a quick sacrifice.
It isn't a real gambit — White almost always regains the c4 pawn — but the offer forces Black to make an immediate structural decision (hold d5, accept the pawn, or play a Slav/Semi-Slav setup). That decision shapes the entire middlegame, which is why the QGD, QGA, and Slav are each treated as separate openings.
1.d4 d5 2.c4. Black's three main tries are 2...e6 (Queen's Gambit Declined), 2...c6 (Slav), and 2...dxc4 (Queen's Gambit Accepted) — each needs a different follow-up, so know at least the QGD lines first since they're the most common at club level.
Against the Declined (2...e6), develop Nc3, Bg5 (pinning the f6 knight), e3, and aim for the classic minority attack (b4-b5) on the queenside once castled, or push e4 in the center if Black is slow. Against the Accepted (2...dxc4), play e4 immediately and recapture the pawn later with Bxc4 — don't waste time chasing it with Qa4+ tricks first.
The classic 'Elephant Trap' punishes White for grabbing a piece too greedily in the QGD Exchange line (4.Nc3 Nf6 5.Bg5 dxc4? mishandled recaptures can drop a piece to ...Nxe4!). Against the Accepted, don't let Black consolidate the extra pawn with ...b5 — hit b5 with a4 before Black's queenside is secure.
White's most common mistake is treating c4 as a pawn to win back at any cost instead of a lever to open the center — recovering it two tempi too slowly hands Black easy equality. Black's most common mistake in the Declined is leaving the c8 bishop stuck behind the e6 pawn for the whole game; free it early with ...b6 or trade it off before committing to ...e6.
White builds pressure on d5 and seeks e4; Black completes development and uses ...c5 or ...e5 to free the position.
Ask at the board: Can White prepare e4, and which freeing break should Black choose?
Trying to keep the extra c4 pawn at all costs can leave Black behind in development; White should not recover it at the expense of central control.
Interactive model line
Step through the position, drag pieces to test alternatives, then open the same line in Stockfish.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-OAnalyze this line with Stockfish