Queen's Gambit Accepted
The Queen's Gambit Accepted (1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4) is the third most popular answer to the Queen's Gambit, after 2...e6 and 2...c6: Black takes the pawn. Read the guide
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Statistics from Lichess
22,048,651 games: White 54.5% / Draw 4.6% / Black 40.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 8,498,3448.5M | ||
| Old Variation | 5,675,8585.7M | |
| Saduleto Variation | 4,673,7344.7M | |
| Normal Variation | 2,435,5592.4M | |
| Accelerated Mannheim Variation | 367,249367K | |
| 142,116142K | ||
| 96,31696K | ||
| 61,87162K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.21 The position is about equal
Best play: 3. Nf3 a6 4. e3 e6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O Nf6 7. dxc5 Bxc5
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the better this line does for Black: Black scores 43% under 1400, 49% at 2200 and up and 44% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 17M | |
| 1400–1799 | 24.4M | |
| 1800–2199 | 9.4M | |
| 2200 and up | 886K | |
| Masters, over the board | 24K |
Master games
- Kramnik, V. – Kasparov, G.
- Kramnik, V. – Kasparov, G.
- Kramnik, V. – Kasparov, G.
- Kramnik, V. – Kasparov, G.
- Kramnik, V. – Kasparov, G.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 26, 2026
Description
The Queen's Gambit Accepted (1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4) is the third most popular answer to the Queen's Gambit, after 2...e6 and 2...c6: Black takes the pawn. Black usually lets White win it back and uses the time to play against White's centre with ...c5 or ...e5.
Origins
The Queen's Gambit Accepted is mentioned in chess literature as early as the 15th century. For a long time Black's play centred on holding on to the c4-pawn. The first modern ideas came in the 1886 World Championship match between Wilhelm Steinitz and Johannes Zukertort: Steinitz returned the pawn, left White with an isolated pawn on d4 and then played against that weakness. Even with this treatment the opening had a slightly dubious reputation in the early 20th century. Alexander Alekhine introduced further ideas for Black, and from the 1930s it was played at the highest level. It became less popular after the Second World War, when the Indian defences were heavily played. At the end of the 1990s a number of elite players added it to their repertoires, and today it is considered sound.
The idea
After 2...dxc4 White has two main approaches:
- Recover the pawn calmly with Nf3, e3 and Bxc4.
- Take the centre with 3.e4, the Central Variation, and then Bxc4.
Black then plays ...Nf6, ...e6, ...c5 and often ...a6 and ...b5, which gains time against the bishop on c4. After ...cxd4, exd4 leaves White with an isolated pawn on d4 and a keen middlegame, while a recapture with a piece clears the centre and usually gives a fairly even game.
Main lines
- Normal Variation 3.Nf3, leading to the Classical Defense 3...Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5, the traditional main line.
- Old Variation 3.e3: White recovers the pawn with the bishop. The immediate 3...e5 strikes back at the centre.
- Central Variation 3.e4, answered by 3...e5, 3...Nf6 (Alekhine System) or 3...c5.
- Alekhine Defense 3.Nf3 a6, preparing ...b5 in the right moment.
A common mistake
Trying to keep the pawn with ...b5 is risky. After 3.e3 b5? 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5?? 6.Qf3 the long diagonal is fatally weakened and White wins a piece, a trap pointed out by Alessandro Salvio in 1604.
Strengths and weaknesses
Strengths
- Clear, principled play that frees Black's game quickly: the c8-bishop is not shut in.
- Less theory than the Queen's Gambit Declined or the Slav.
- Positions with an isolated d-pawn teach valuable middlegame skills.
Weaknesses
- White gets a free hand in the centre, especially after 3.e4.
- Players who don't know the ideas suffer: trying to keep the pawn is punished quickly.
- Some lines, such as 7.dxc5 in the main line, lead to an early queen exchange and often an early draw.
Who should play it
The QGA suits players who want active piece play and a straightforward plan against 1.d4, and who are comfortable in open positions. It is a good choice against opponents who aim for slow positional squeezes, because the centre opens early. It is less comfortable against players who like the 3.e4 lines and big centres.
The numbers
Below 1800 on Lichess, White wins 55–56% and Black only 40–41%. Above 2200 the result is almost even (47% against 45%). In master games over the board, White wins 32.5%, Black 20% and 48% are drawn.
Suggest an improvement or report a mistake
How to play against the Queen's Gambit Accepted
3. Nf3 (Normal Variation) scores best for White: 58.4%, with White winning 55.8% and Black 38.9% of 2.4M games. The most played, 3. Nc3, scores 56.3% in 8.5M games, and 3. e4 scores lowest: 56.0%. Stockfish's first choice is also 3. Nf3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Queen's Gambit Accepted has lost ground since 2016: 0.76% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 1.1%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 1.1% | 408,810 |
| 2017 | 0.99% | 544,758 |
| 2018 | 0.88% | 691,526 |
| 2019 | 0.89% | 1,113,208 |
| 2020 | 0.9% | 2,629,628 |
| 2021 | 0.9% | 3,534,849 |
| 2022 | 0.88% | 3,293,892 |
| 2023 | 0.83% | 3,138,117 |
| 2024 | 0.79% | 2,832,834 |
| 2025 | 0.76% | 2,649,151 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.76% | 836,173 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Variations (4)
All 49 named lines that continue from here
No line matches.
- D20 Accelerated Mannheim Variation 3 moves
- D21 Normal Variation 3 moves
- D20 Old Variation 3 moves
- D20 Saduleto Variation 3 moves
- D23 Queen's Gambit Accepted 3 moves
- D22 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Alekhine Defense 3 moves
- D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System 3 moves
- D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Greco Variation 3 moves
- D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense 3 moves
- D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Modern Defense 3 moves
- D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Rubinstein Defense 3 moves
- D27 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Russian Gambit 7 moves
- D21 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Godes Variation 3 moves
- D21 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Gunsberg Defense 3 moves
- D20 Billinger Gambit 6 moves
- D20 Christensen Gambit 6 moves
- D20 Korchnoi Gambit 6 moves
- D20 Novikov Gambit 6 moves
- D21 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Rosenthal Variation 3 moves
- D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Schwartz Defense 3 moves
- D21 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Slav Gambit 3 moves
- D22 Alatortsev Variation 6 moves
- D21 Borisenko-Furman Variation 4 moves
- D22 Haberditz Variation 4 moves
- D20 Somov Gambit 4 moves
- D20 Yefimov Gambit 4 moves
- D20 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Linares Variation 5 moves
- D23 Mannheim Variation 4 moves
- D25 Normal Variation 4 moves
- D24 Showalter Variation 4 moves
- D24 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Bogoljubow Defense 5 moves
- D24 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Gunsberg Defense, Prianishenmo Gambit 7 moves
- D25 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation 4 moves
- D26 Traditional System 4 moves
- D25 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Smyslov Variation 4 moves
- D25 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Winawer Defense 4 moves
- D26 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense 5 moves
- D26 Normal Line 6 moves
- D26 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical, Furman Variation 10 moves
- D27 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Main Line 6 moves
- D26 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Development Variation 6 moves
- D26 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Steinitz Variation, Exchange Variation 6 moves
- D28 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Alekhine System 7 moves
- D27 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Rubinstein Variation 7 moves
- D27 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Furman Variation 7 moves
- D28 Alekhine System 7 moves
- D29 Main Line 8 moves
- D28 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical, Flohr Variation 13 moves
- D29 Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense, Alekhine System, Smyslov Variation 10 moves
Sources
- History and theory: adapted from the Wikipedia article Queen's Gambit Accepted, version of 6 October 2026, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Results: Lichess opening explorer, figures collected from September to November 2026.
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Accepted (D20)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-accepted