Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Exchange Variation, Costa's Line
Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense, Exchange Variation, Costa's Line is a chess opening with the ECO code D07, part of the Queen's Gambit Declined family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6 3. cxd5 Qxd5 4. e3 e5 5. Nc3 Bb4 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. Bxc3 exd4 8. Ne2. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 15 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... Nc6 – Black plays the knight to c6
3. cxd5 – White captures on d5 with the c-pawn
3... Qxd5 – Black takes on d5 with the queen
4. e3 – White plays the pawn to e3
4... e5 – Black plays the pawn to e5
5. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
5... Bb4 – Black plays the bishop to b4
6. Bd2 – White plays the bishop to d2
6... Bxc3 – Black takes on c3 with the bishop
The line goes on for 3 more moves; the lesson shows them all.
About the Queen's Gambit Declined
After 1.d4 d5 2.c4, Black keeps the d5 pawn with ...e6 instead of taking on c4. It is solid, classical and very reliable.
Black develops calmly: ...Nf6, ...Be7, ...O-O, and keeps a strong pawn on d5.
The light-squared bishop on c8 is often stuck behind e6; freeing it is a main task.
Black frees the position with the breaks ...c5 or ...e5; White often plays for a minority attack with b4-b5.
chessGM