Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System

Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System 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. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 8 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

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 5. Bxc4.

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, Traditional System course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3)
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense – adds 5. Bxc4 c5
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, .. a6 Sideline – adds 5. Bxc4 a6 6. Nc3 b5
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System – adds 5. Bxc4 Be7 6. O-O a6
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System – adds 5. Bxc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, .. a6 Sideline (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 a6 6. Nc3 b5 7. Bb3 Bb7 8. O-O)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 Be7 6. O-O a6)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, .. a6 Sideline (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 a6 6. Nc3 b5)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical, Furman Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. Qe2 a6 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. O-O Nc6 9. e4 b5 10. e5)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System (1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 Be7 6. O-O O-O 7. Nc3)

Browse every named opening · Opening courses