The Queen's Gambit is the

chess opening The opening is the initial stage of a chess game. It usually consists of established Chess_theory#Opening_theory, theory. The other phases are the chess middlegame, middlegame and the chess endgame, endgame. Many opening sequences, known as ''op ...

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 A gambit (from Italian , the act of tripping someone with the leg to make them fall) is a chess opening in which a player sacrifices with the aim of achieving a subsequent advantage. The word '' gambit'' is also sometimes used to describe si ...

'' because White appears to sacrifice the c-pawn; however, this could be considered a misnomer as Black cannot retain the pawn without incurring a disadvantage.

History

The Queen's Gambit is one of the oldest known openings in chess. It was mentioned in the

Göttingen manuscript The Göttingen manuscript is the earliest known work devoted entirely to modern chess. It is a Latin text of 33 leaves held at the University of Göttingen. A quarto parchment manuscript of 33 leaves, ff. 1–15a are a discussion of twelve chess ...

of 1490 and was later analyzed by

Gioachino Greco Gioachino Greco ( – ), surnamed Cusentino and more frequently ''il Calabrese'', was an Italian chess player and writer. He recorded some of the earliest chess games known in their entirety. His games, which never indicated players, were q ...

in the 17th century. In the 18th century, it was recommended by

Philipp Stamma Philipp Stamma ( – c. 1755), a native of Aleppo, Ottoman Syria, later resident of England and France, was a chess master and a pioneer of modern chess. His reputation rests largely on his authorship of the early chess book ''Essai sur le jeu d ...

of Aleppo and is sometimes known as the Aleppo Gambit in his honor. During the early period of modern chess, queen pawn openings were not in fashion, and the Queen's Gambit did not become commonplace until the 1873 tournament in Vienna. As

Wilhelm Steinitz William Steinitz (born Wilhelm Steinitz; May 14, 1836 – August 12, 1900) was a Bohemian-Austrian, and later American, chess player. From 1886 to 1894, he was the first World Chess Champion. He was also a highly influential writer and c ...

and

Siegbert Tarrasch Siegbert Tarrasch (; 5 March 1862 – 17 February 1934) was a German chess player, considered to have been among the strongest players and most influential theoreticians of the late 19th and early 20th century. Life Tarrasch was born in Bresla ...

developed

chess theory The game of chess is commonly divided into three phases: the chess opening, opening, Chess middlegame, middlegame, and Chess endgame, endgame. There is a large body of theory regarding how the game should be played in each of these phases, especi ...

and increased the appreciation of , the Queen's Gambit grew more popular, reaching its zenith in the 1920s and 1930s, and it was played in all but 2 of 34 games in the 1927 World Championship match between

José Raúl Capablanca José Raúl Capablanca y Graupera (19 November 1888 – 8 March 1942) was a Cuban chess player who was the third World Chess Championship, world chess champion from 1921 to 1927. A chess prodigy, he was widely renowned for his exceptional Chess ...

and

Alexander Alekhine Alexander Aleksandrovich Alekhine. He disliked when Russians sometimes pronounced the of as , , which he regarded as a Yiddish distortion of his name, and insisted that the correct Russian pronunciation was . (March 24, 1946) was a Russian ...

. After the resumption of international chess activity following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, it was less frequently seen as many players moved away from symmetrical openings, tending to use an

Indian Defence In the game of chess, Indian Defence or Indian Game is a broad term for a group of chess opening, openings characterised by the moves: : 1. b:Chess Opening Theory/1. d4, d4 b:Chess Opening Theory/1. d4/1...Nf6, Nf6 They are all to varying degrees ...

to combat queen pawn openings; however, it is still frequently played.

Overview

With 2.c4, White threatens to exchange a wing pawn (the c-pawn) for a center pawn (Black's d-pawn) in order to dominate the with e2–e4. Black cannot hold the pawn, for example: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 b5 (Black tries to guard their pawn but should pursue with 3...Nf6 or 3...e5) 4.a4 c6? 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Qf3 winning a piece. The Queen's Gambit is divided into two major categories based on Black's response: the

Queen's Gambit Accepted The Queen's Gambit Accepted (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.. ...

(QGA) and the

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 ...

(QGD). In the QGA, Black plays 2...dxc4, temporarily giving up the center to obtain freer development. In the QGD, Black usually plays to hold d5. Frequently Black will be cramped, but Black aims to exchange pieces and use at c5 and e5 to free Black's game.

Variations

Technically, any Black response other than 2...dxc4 (or another line with an early ...dxc4 that transposes into the QGA) is a Queen's Gambit Declined, but the Slav, Albin Countergambit, and Chigorin Defense are generally treated separately. There are so many QGD lines after 2...e6 that many of them are distinctive enough to warrant separate treatment. The Orthodox Defense and the

Tarrasch Defense The Tarrasch Defense is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e6 :3. Nc3 c5 The Tarrasch is a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. Black's third move is an aggressive bid for central . After White plays cxd5 an ...

are two important examples. (See

for more.) After 1.d4 d5 2.c4: * 2...e6 –

or QGD ('' ECO'' D30–D69). This is the main line, with many variations. * 2...dxc4 –

or QGA (D20–D29). Less popular than the Queen's Gambit Declined, it nevertheless has a solid reputation. * 2...c6 –

Slav Defense 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 ...

(D10–D19). This is a solid response, although many variations are very tactical. If Black plays both ...c6 and ...e6 (in either order), the opening takes characteristics of both the Slav and the Orthodox Defense and is classified as a

Semi-Slav Defense The Semi-Slav Defense is a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined chess opening defined by the position reached after the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c6 :3. Nf3 Nf6 :4. Nc3 e6 The position may readily be reached by a number of different . ...

. * 2...e5 –

Albin Countergambit The Albin Countergambit is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 e5 and the usual continuation is: :3. dxe5 d4 The opening is a gambit and an uncommon response to the Queen's Gambit. In exchange for the sacrificed ...

(D08–D09), a sharp attempt by Black to gain the

initiative Popular initiative A popular initiative (also citizens' initiative) is a form of direct democracy by which a petition meeting certain hurdles can force a legal procedure on a proposition. In direct initiative, the proposition is put direct ...

. It is uncommon in top-level chess but can be a dangerous weapon in club play. * 2...Nc6 –

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 seve ...

(D07) The Chigorin Defense takes the game away from the normal positional channels of the QGD and has been favored by

Alexander Morozevich Alexander Sergeyevich Morozevich (; born July 18, 1977) is a Russian chess player. He was awarded the title of Grandmaster by FIDE in 1994. Morozevich is a two-time World Championship candidate (2005, 2007), two-time Russian champion and has re ...

at the top level; it appears to be for Black. * 2...Bf5 –

Baltic Defense The Baltic Defense (also known as the Grau Defense, or the Sahovic Defense) is a chess opening characterized by the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 Bf5!? The Baltic is an unusual variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined (QGD). In most defenses to t ...

(D06), an offbeat but playable line. * 2...c5 –

Symmetrical Defense The Symmetrical Defense (or Austrian Defense) is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 c5 First described in print by Alessandro Salvio in 1604, the opening is often called the Austrian Defense because it was studied by ...

(D06). This is rarely played; although it has not been definitely refuted, the play seems to favor White. * 2...Nf6 –

Marshall Defense The Marshall Defense is a chess opening that begins with the moves: :1. d4 d5 :2. c4 Nf6?! The Marshall Defense is a fairly dubious variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined. It was played by Frank Marshall in the 1920s, but he gave it up a ...

(D06), named after Frank Marshall, who first devised the move, he briefly played it in the 1920s before abandoning it. * 2...g6?! – Alekhine idea (D06). White can gain the advantage by 3.cxd5 Qxd5 (3...Nf6 4.Qa4 ) 4.Nc3 Qa5 5.Nf3 Bg7 6.Bd2 c6 7.e4 Qb6 8.Bc4 Bxd4 9.Nxd4 Qxd4 10.Qb3 Qg7 11.0-0 +/− ( Minev). If White chooses to

fianchetto In chess, the fianchetto ( or spelling pronunciation ; "little flank") is a pattern of wherein a bishop is developed to the second of the adjacent b- or g-, the having been moved one or two squares forward. The fianchetto is a staple of man ...

the , the game transposes into the

Catalan Opening The Catalan Opening is a chess opening where White plays d4 and c4 and fianchettoes the white bishop on g2. A common opening sequence is 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.g3, although various other openings can transpose into the Catalan. The ''Encyclopaedia of ...

References

External links

"Queen's Gambit"
video and explanation, TheChessWebsite.com
"Queen's Gambit Accepted Traps"
video and explanation, Chessworld.net {{Authority control 15th century in chess Chess openings

History

Overview

Variations

References

Further reading

External links