Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code D25, part of the Queen's Gambit Accepted family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 7 moves it is Black 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

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 4... e6.

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.

chessGM has a full course for this line: open the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Queen's Gambit Accepted (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6)
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation – adds 4... Bg4
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Smyslov Variation – adds 4... g6
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Winawer Defense – adds 4... Be6
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System – adds 4... e6
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Smyslov Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 g6)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Showalter Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Winawer Defense (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Be6)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Gunsberg Defense, Prianishenmo Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 c5 5. d5 e6 6. e4 exd5 7. e5)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5)

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