The Queen’s Gambit Declined, 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6, keeps the d5 strong point and develops classically with ...Nf6, ...Be7 and ...O-O. It is one of the most reliable defences ever played, and its typical freeing breaks (...c5 and ...dxc4 followed by ...b5) give Black a full share of the play.
Key ideas
1Keep the d5 point supported by ...e6 and later ...c6 until it is time to free the game.
2The freeing break ...c5 (or ...dxc4 and ...c5) turns a cramped position into an active one.
3The c8 bishop is the problem piece: solve it with ...b6 and ...Bb7 (Tartakower) or trades on the h4 bishop.
4Against the pin Bg5 play ...Be7 and ...h6; the Lasker ...Ne4 trades pieces to ease the position.
5Do not fear the Exchange variation: develop the bishop to f5 or d6 quickly and use the e-file.
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Refuse the pawn, keep d5, and develop. The Queen's Gambit Declined has been Black's answer to 1.d4 d5 2.c4 for as long as the gambit has existed, because it gives up nothing and asks White to prove something. The hard part is not the first six moves but the seventh, where Black picks a way to free the position.
What you will learn
01Reach the Orthodox set-up ...e6, ...Nf6, ...Be7, ...O-O against the Bg5 pin.
02Free the c8 bishop the Tartakower way, with ...h6, ...b6 and ...Bb7, or trade pieces the Lasker way with ...Ne4.
03Play the Cambridge Springs ...Qa5 pin and the ...Bf5 plan against the Exchange variation.
The main line
The Tartakower line runs 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 b6. Black holds d5 with the e-pawn, blocks the Bg5 pin with ...Be7 and castles. White builds with e3 and Nf3 and keeps the pin, so the c8 bishop has nowhere to go.
6...h6 asks the bishop to decide; after 7.Bh4 it still pins, but now 7...b6 announces the plan. The bishop will come to b7 and look at e4 along the long diagonal, and ...c5 will open the position when Black is ready. The Lasker Defence uses the same first six moves and plays 7...Ne4 instead, trading pieces to ease the cramp.
The beginner error here is impatience: ...c5 or ...dxc4 on move four or five, before castling, which hands White the open centre with a safer king. The second is leaving the c8 bishop to look after itself; every line on this page is a plan for that bishop.
How to practise it
Learn the Tartakower line first and watch what ...h6 and ...b6 do for the c8 bishop. In Drill you play Black; the test is remembering which seventh move belongs to which line. Learn the Lasker next, since it shares every move but the last. The Cambridge Springs and Exchange lines return on their review dates.
Is the Queen's Gambit Declined good for beginners?
Yes. It is one of the safest ways to meet 1.d4, the first moves are the same against most White set-ups and the king is castled early. The price is a quiet game.
What is the main line of the Queen's Gambit Declined?
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 b6, the Tartakower. The Lasker 7...Ne4 and the Cambridge Springs with 4...Nbd7 and 6...Qa5 are the alternatives.