Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Exchange Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code D26, part of the Queen's Gambit Accepted family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O cxd4. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 12 moves it is White to move. After the last move Black is a pawn ahead in material. The lesson on the board explains every move of the line and lets you play it yourself; it is free.
The moves
1. d4 – White plays the pawn to d4
1... d5 – Black plays the pawn to d5
2. c4 – White plays the pawn to c4
2... dxc4 – Black captures on c4 with the d-pawn
3. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
3... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
4. e3 – White plays the pawn to e3
4... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
5. Bxc4 – White takes on c4 with the bishop
5... c5 – Black plays the pawn to c5
6. O-O – White castles kingside
6... cxd4 – Black captures on d4 with the c-pawn
About the Queen's Gambit Accepted
After 1.d4 d5 2.c4, Black takes with 2...dxc4. Black does not try to keep the pawn but uses the time to develop and hit the centre.
White usually wins the pawn back with e3 and Bxc4.
Black strikes back with ...c5 and ...e6, often getting an isolated d-pawn fight.
Holding the pawn with ...b5 is usually a mistake: a4 breaks the chain.
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