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Learn the Queen's Gambit with our free interactive trainer. Master the Queen's Gambit Accepted, Semi-Slav, and Declined lines for White after 1.d4 d5 2.c4. 7 chapters.
1. d4 d5 2. c4
The Queen's Gambit, 1.d4 d5 2.c4, is one of the oldest and most respected openings for White. White offers the c-pawn to pull Black's d-pawn away from the centre, and in almost every line the pawn can be won back. This repertoire covers the Queen's Gambit Accepted, the Semi-Slav, the Declined with a kingside fianchetto, the Marshall Defense, Black's rarer replies and a classic trap.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 Nf6 4. Nf3
In the Queen's Gambit Accepted Black takes the pawn with 2...dxc4. White does not need to hurry: after 3.e3 the bishop on f1 attacks c4 and the pawn cannot be held. The chapter also shows the ambitious 3.e4 and the isolated queen's pawn positions that arise after ...c5 and ...cxd4.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. e3 Nbd7 6. h3 Be7 ...
Black supports d5 with 2...c6, the Slav Defense, keeping the c8 bishop's diagonal open. This chapter follows the Semi-Slav move order with ...Nf6 and ...e6, where White develops calmly with e3, Bd3 and castles. It also covers the pure Slav with 4...dxc4 5.a4 and the sharper 5.Bg5.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. g3 Bb4+ 5. Bd2 Be7 6. Bg2 Nbd7 ...
Black declines the gambit with 2...e6, the most solid reply. Against it this repertoire uses the Catalan set-up with 4.g3, putting the bishop on g2 where it presses on d5 and the long diagonal. The chapter covers the check 4...Bb4+, the exchange on d2 followed by a queenside space grab, and the closed lines with 4...Be7.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nf6 3. cxd5 Nxd5 4. e4 Nf6 5. Nc3 e5 6. dxe5 Qxd1+ ...
The Marshall Defense, 2...Nf6, defends d5 with a piece instead of a pawn. It is considered inferior because White can exchange on d5 and then gain time and space with e4. The chapter follows the forcing line with 5...e5, where queens come off early and both knights raid a corner.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6
Black has several less common replies to the Queen's Gambit. This chapter is a reference for them: the Chigorin, the Albin Countergambit, the Baltic and the Austrian Defense, along with the names of the main Queen's Gambit Accepted systems. It also looks more closely at the 3.e4 line of the Accepted, including a trap on f2, and at the Semi-Slav with 5.Bg5.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e3 b5 4. a4 bxa4 5. Qxa4+ Bd7 6. Qxc4
This chapter shows why Black cannot hold the gambit pawn in the Queen's Gambit Accepted. After 3.e3 b5 White undermines the pawn chain with 4.a4, and the natural defences 4...c6 and 4...a6 both fail. The key shot is Qf3, attacking the rook on a8.