Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation

Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation is a chess opening with the ECO code D31, part of the Queen's Gambit Declined family. It goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3. White opens with 1. d4 (the queen's pawn) and Black answers 1... d5. After 5 moves it is Black 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

In chessGM's opening book this position continues with 3... Nf6.

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 has a full course for this line: open the Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation course lesson.

Related openings

• It extends: Queen's Gambit Declined (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6)
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation – adds 3... Be7
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Declined: Janowski Variation – adds 3... a6
• Continues with: Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move Order – adds 3... c6
• Continues with: Tarrasch Defense – adds 3... c5
• Continues with: Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense – adds 3... Nf6
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Declined: Janowski Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 a6)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Abrahams Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. Bd2 a5)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation, Miladinovic Gambit (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. e4 dxe4 5. f3)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Junge Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. a4 Bb4 6. e3 b5 7. Bd2 Qb6)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7)
• Related line: Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav, Koomen Variation (1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c6 4. Nf3 dxc4 5. e3 b5 6. a4 Bb4 7. Bd2 Qe7)

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