Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Bernstein Variation, Mar del Plata Gambit
Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Bernstein Variation, Mar del Plata Gambit is a chess opening with the ECO code D57, part of the Queen's Gambit Declined family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 h6 7. Bh4 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. cxd5 Nxc3 10. bxc3 exd5 11. Qb3 Rd8 12. c4 Be6. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 24 moves it is White to move. 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... e6 – Black plays the pawn to e6
3. Nc3 – White plays the knight to c3
3... Nf6 – Black plays the knight to f6
4. Bg5 – White plays the bishop to g5
4... Be7 – Black plays the bishop to e7
5. e3 – White plays the pawn to e3
5... O-O – Black castles kingside
6. Nf3 – White plays the knight to f3
6... h6 – Black plays the pawn to h6
The line goes on for 12 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.
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