Queen's Pawn Game broadly refers to any

chess opening A chess opening or simply an opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established theory; the other phases are the middlegame and the endgame. Many opening sequences have standard names such as the " Sicilian Defens ...

starting with the move

1.d4 Queen's Pawn Game broadly refers to any chess opening starting with the move 1.d4, which is the second most popular opening move after 1.e4 (King's Pawn Game). Terminology The term "Queen's Pawn Game" is usually used to describe openings begin ...

, which is the second most popular opening move after 1.e4 (

King's Pawn Game The King's Pawn Game is any chess opening starting with the move: :1. e4 It is the most popular opening move in chess, followed by the Queen's Pawn Game. Details about the move and the game plan White opens with the most popular of the twent ...

Terminology

The term "Queen's Pawn Game" is usually used to describe openings beginning with 1.d4 where White does not play the

Queen's Gambit The Queen's Gambit is the chess opening that starts with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 It is one of the oldest openings and is still commonly played today. It is traditionally described as a '' gambit'' because White appears to sacrifice the ...

. The most common Queen's Pawn Game openings are: * The

London System The London System, also known as the Mason Variation, is an in chess where White opens with 1.d4 but does not play the Queen's Gambit, instead opting to rapidly develop the . This often results in a . The London System can be used against virtu ...

, 2.Bf4 or 2.Nf3 and 3.Bf4 * The

Trompowsky Attack The Trompowsky Attack (or Trompowsky Opening, also known as the Opočenský Opening, the Ruth Opening, and the Zot) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. Bg5 White prepares to exchange the bishop for Black's knight, i ...

, 1...Nf6 2.Bg5 and the Pseudo-Trompowsky 1...d5 2.Bg5 * The

Torre Attack The Torre Attack is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. Nf3 e6 :3. Bg5 ('' ECO'' code A46) or the Tartakower Variation in the Queen's Pawn Game (''ECO'' code D03): :2... d5 :3. Bg5 or the Torre Attack in the Eas ...

, 2.Nf3 and 3.Bg5 * The

Stonewall Attack The Stonewall Attack is a chess opening characterized by White (generally) playing their pawns to d4 and e3, playing Bd3, Nd2, and then playing pawns to c3 and then f4; although the moves are not always played in that order (see transposition). T ...

, 2.e3 * The

Colle System The Colle System, also known as the Colle-Koltanowski System, is a chess opening for White, popularized in the 1920s by the Belgian master Edgard Colle and further developed by George Koltanowski. The Colle is characterized by several move ...

, 2.Nf3 and 3.e3, * The King's Fianchetto Opening, 2.Nf3 and 3.g3 * The

Barry Attack The Barry Attack is a chess opening for White that usually arises via the move order 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4. Black usually plays 4...Bg7 after which the most popular continuation is 5.e3 0-0 6.Be2; however, 5.Qd2, the "Tarzan Attack", i ...

, 1...Nf6 2.Nf3 g6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bf4 * The

Richter–Veresov Attack The Richter–Veresov Attack (or Veresov Opening) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. Nc3 Nf6 :3. Bg5 It is also often reached by transposition, for example 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 (the most common move order), 1.d ...

, 1...d5 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.Bg5 or 1...Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.Bg5 * The

Blackmar–Diemer Gambit The Blackmar–Diemer Gambit (or BDG) is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. e4 dxe4 :3. Nc3 where White intends to follow up with f2–f3, usually on the fourth move. White obtains a tempo and a half-open f-file in re ...

, 1...d5 2.e4, and the Hübsch Gambit 1...Nf6 2.Nc3 d5 3.e4 In the ''

Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings The ''Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'' () is a reference work describing the state of Chess theory#Opening theory, opening theory in chess, originally published in five volumes from 1974 to 1979 by the Serbian company Šahovski Informator (Che ...

'' (''ECO''),

Closed Game A Closed Game (or Double Queen's Pawn Opening) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 The move 1.d4 offers the same benefits to and as does 1.e4, but unlike with the king's pawn openings where the e4-pawn is undefended after ...

s (1.d4 d5) are classified under codes D00–D69. Openings where Black does not play 1...d5 are called

Semi-Closed Game A Semi-Closed Game (or Semi-Closed Opening) is a chess opening in which White plays 1.d4 but Black does not make the symmetrical reply 1...d5. (The openings starting 1.d4 d5 are the Closed Games.) Important openings By far the most important ...

s and classified as: *

Indian Defence In the game of chess, Indian Defence or Indian Game is a broad term for a group of openings characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 They are all to varying degrees hypermodern defences, where Black invites White to establish an imposing presen ...

s, where Black plays 1...Nf6 (''ECO'' codes A45–A79, D70–D99, E00–E99); for instance the

Queen's Indian Defence The Queen's Indian Defense (QID) is a chess opening defined by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e6 :3. Nf3 b6 The opening is a solid defense to the Queen's Pawn Game. 3...b6 increases Black's control over the central light squares e4 and d5 by ...

(''ECO'' E12–E19); * other Queen's Pawn Games, where Black plays neither 1...d5 nor 1...Nf6; these include the

Dutch Defence The Dutch Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 f5 Black's 1...f5 stakes a claim to the e4-square and envisions an attack in the middlegame on White's ; however, it also weakens Black's kingside to an extent (especial ...

(''ECO'' A40–A44 and A80–A99).

History

In the 19th century and early 20th century, 1.e4 was by far the most common opening move by White , while the different openings starting with 1.d4 were considered somewhat unusual and therefore classed together as "Queen's Pawn Game". As the merits of 1.d4 started to be explored, it was the

which was played most often—more popular than all other 1.d4 openings combined. The term "Queen's Pawn Game" was then narrowed down to any opening with 1.d4 which was not a Queen's Gambit. Eventually, through the efforts of the hypermodernists, the various Indian Defences (such as the

King's Indian The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6 (the Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is consid ...

Nimzo-Indian The Nimzo-Indian Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e6 :3. Nc3 Bb4 Other move orders, such as 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 Nf6 3.d4 Bb4, are also feasible. In the '' Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings'', the Nimzo-India ...

, and

Queen's Indian The Queen's Indian Defense (QID) is a chess opening defined by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e6 :3. Nf3 b6 The opening is a solid defense to the Queen's Pawn Game. 3...b6 increases Black's control over the central light squares e4 and d5 by ...

) became more popular, and as these openings were named, the term "Queen's Pawn Game" narrowed further.

Continuations

The Black responses given below are ranked in order of popularity according to ChessBase for FIDE-rated games.

1...Nf6

This move prevents White from establishing a full pawn centre with 2.e4. The opening usually leads to a form of

, but can also lead to versions of the Queen's Gambit if Black plays ...d5 at some point. Since 1...Nf6 is a move that is likely to be made anyway, the move is a flexible response to White's first move. White usually plays 2.c4. Then Black usually plays 2...e6 (typically leading to the

, or

Queen's Gambit Declined The Queen's Gambit Declined (or QGD) is a chess opening in which Black declines a pawn offered by White in the Queen's Gambit: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e6 This is known as the ''Orthodox Line'' of the Queen's Gambit Declined. When the "Queen's Gambi ...

), 2...g6 (leading to the

Grünfeld Defence The Grünfeld Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 :3. Nc3 d5 Black offers White the possibility of 4.cxd5, which may be followed by 4...Nxd5 and 5.e4, giving White an imposing central pawn duo. If Whi ...

), or 2...c5 (leading to the

Benoni Defence The Benoni Defense is a chess opening characterized by an early reply of ...c5 against White's opening move 1.d4. Most commonly, it is reached by the sequence: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 c5 :3. d5 Black can then sacrifice a pawn with 3...b5 (the Ben ...

Benko Gambit The Benko Gambit (or Volga Gambit) is a chess opening characterised by the move 3...b5 in the Benoni Defence arising after: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 c5 :3. d5 b5 Black sacrifices a pawn for enduring pressure. White can accept or decline the gamb ...

). Rarer tries include 2...e5 (

Budapest Gambit The Budapest Gambit (or Budapest Defence) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 e5 Despite an early debut in 1896, the Budapest Gambit received attention from leading players only after a win as Black by Grandmast ...

) and 2...d6 (

Old Indian Defence The Old Indian Defense is a chess opening defined by the moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 d6 This opening is distinguished from the King's Indian Defense in that Black develops their on e7 rather than by fianchetto on g7. Mikhail Chigorin pioneer ...

). Also White can play 2.Nf3 which like Black's move is not specific as to opening. A third alternative is the

with 2.Bg5.

1...d5

1...d5 (

) also prevents White from playing 2.e4 unless White wants to venture the dubious

. 1...d5 is not any worse than 1...Nf6, but committing the pawn to d5 at once makes it somewhat less flexible since Black can no longer play the Indian Defences, although if Black is aiming for Queen's Gambit positions this may be of minor importance. Also, a move like 2.Bg5 ( Hodgson Attack) is considered relatively harmless compared to 1.d4 Nf6 2.Bg5 since there is no knight on f6 for the bishop to harass. White's more common move is 2.c4 leading to the

when Black usually chooses between 2...e6 (

), 2...c6 (

Slav Defence The Slav Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 The Slav is one of the primary defenses to the Queen's Gambit. Although it was analyzed as early as 1590, it was not until the 1920s that it started to be ...

) or 2...dxc4 (

Queen's Gambit Accepted The Queen's Gambit Accepted (or QGA) is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 dxc4 The Queen's Gambit Accepted is the third most popular option on Black's second move, after 2...e6 (the Queen's Gambit Declined) and 2 ...

). Also White can play 2.Nf3 which again is not specific as to opening. Then Black may play ...Nf6 (same as above) or ...e6. A Queen's Gambit may arise anyway if White plays c4 soon afterward, but lines like the

and

are also possible.

1...e6

The

Horwitz Defense The Horwitz Defense is a chess opening defined by the moves: :1. d4 e6 This response to White's Queen's Pawn Game, is named for the German chess master and writer Bernhard Horwitz (1807–85), who is known to have played it four times against ...

is a chess opening characterized by the moves: 1.d4 e6. This play allows White to play 2.e4, entering the

French Defence The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 e6 This is most commonly followed by 2.d4 d5, with Black intending ...c5 soon after, attacking White's and gaining on the . The French has a reputation for solidity ...

. If White wants to continue with a Queen's Pawn Game however, 2.c4 and 2.Nf3 usually

transpose In linear algebra, the transpose of a matrix is an operator which flips a matrix over its diagonal; that is, it switches the row and column indices of the matrix by producing another matrix, often denoted by (among other notations). The tr ...

to a familiar opening such as the

. A line that is unique to the 1...e6 move order is the Keres Defence, 1.d4 e6 2.c4 Bb4+.

1...d6

This move also allows 2.e4 entering the

Pirc Defence The Pirc Defence (pronounced ) is a chess opening characterised by the response of Black to 1.e4 with 1...d6 and 2...Nf6, followed by ...g6 and ...Bg7, while allowing White to establish a with pawns on d4 and e4. It is named after the Slovenian ...

. If White avoids this, 2.Nf3 or 2.c4 may lead to a

, or Black may play 2...Bg4, sometimes called the

Wade Defence The Wade Defence is a chess opening characterised by the initial moves: :1. d4 d6 :2. Nf3 Bg4 The position can also arise from the move order 1.Nf3 d6 2.d4 Bg4. History The opening is named after British IM Bob Wade (1921–2008), origi ...

(A41, see 1.d4 d6 2.Nf3 Bg4). 2.c4 e5 is the Rat Defense, English Rat.

1...f5

1...f5 is the

. Common White moves are 2.g3, 2.Nf3, and 2.c4.

1...g6

1...g6 is sometimes called the

Modern Defence The Modern Defense (also known as the Robatsch Defence after Karl Robatsch) is a hypermodern chess opening in which Black allows White to occupy the with pawns on d4 and e4, then proceeds to attack and undermine this "ideal" center without atte ...

line. White can play 2.e4 to enter the Modern Defence. More commonly, White plays 2.c4. Black may play 2...Nf6 for the

King's Indian Defence The King's Indian Defence is a common chess opening. It is defined by the following moves: :1. d4 Nf6 :2. c4 g6 Black intends to follow up with 3...Bg7 and 4...d6 (the Grünfeld Defence arises when Black plays 3...d5 instead, and is consid ...

(same as 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 g6). More commonly, Black plays 2...Bg7. Then White's moves include 3.Nc3, 3.e4, and 3.Nf3. 3.Nc3 often leads to the Modern Defence, Averbakh System, and 3.e4 usually leads to the Modern Defence, Averbakh System. 2...d6 often leads to the Modern Defence, Averbakh System. Also, White can play 2.Nf3. Black may play 2...Nf6 for the King's Indian. More commonly, Black plays 2...Bg7. Common White moves are 3.e4, 3.c4, and 3.g3.

1...c5

1...c5 is the Old Benoni Defence: this is a form of the

seldom used; however, it is not a bad move. If White captures 2.dxc5, then Black plays 2...e6 and has a good game.

1...Nc6

1...Nc6 is the Queen's Knight Defense (or Mikenas Defense): this can usually transpose to the

Chigorin Defense The Chigorin Defense is a chess opening named for 19th-century Russian master Mikhail Chigorin. An uncommonly played defense to the Queen's Gambit, it begins with the following moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 Nc6 The Chigorin Defense violates severa ...

or the Nimzowitsch Defense.

1...c6

This move allows White to play 2.e4, entering the

Caro–Kann Defence The Caro–Kann Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: :1. e4 c6 The Caro–Kann is a common defence against the King's Pawn Opening. It is classified as a Semi-Open Game, like the Sicilian Defence and French Defence, although ...

. If, however, White wants to continue with a Queen's Pawn Game, 2.c4 and 2.Nf3 usually transpose to a familiar opening such as the

, or

1...b6

1...b6 is the English Defence. Common White moves are 2.e4 (which transposes to the

Owen Defense Owen's Defence (also known as the Queen's Fianchetto Defence or Greek Defence) is an uncommon chess opening defined by the moves: :1. e4 b6 By playing 1...b6, Black prepares to fianchetto the where it will participate in the battle for the . ...

), 2.Nf3, and 2.c4.

1...b5

1...b5 is the Polish Defence: this is risky and should be played with care. It is better to delay ...b5 until the 2nd move.

1...a6

1...a6 can quickly transpose to the St. George Defence.

1...e5

1...e5?! is the

Englund Gambit The Englund Gambit is a rarely played chess opening that starts with the moves: :1. d4 e5 Black's idea is to avoid the traditional queen's pawn games and create an with tactical chances, but at the cost of a pawn. The gambit is considered wea ...

: this gives up a pawn for questionable compensation.

1...Na6

1...Na6 is the Australian Defence.

1...g5

1...g5 is the

Borg Defense The King's Pawn Game is any chess opening starting with the move: :1. e4 It is the most popular opening move in chess, followed by the Queen's Pawn Game. Details about the move and the game plan White opens with the most popular of the twenty ...

, Borg Gambit: this simply loses a pawn to 2.Bxg5.

References

* {{Authority control Chess openings