Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System
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Statistics from Lichess
684,166 games: White 54.1% / Draw 4.3% / Black 41.6%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 389,041389K | ||
| 251,577252K | ||
| 27,39527K | ||
| 9,2299,229 | ||
| 3,6083,608 | ||
| 892892 | ||
| 595595 | ||
| 388388 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.35 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. e5 Nd5 5. Bxc4 Bf5 6. Nf3 e6 7. O-O Be7 8. Nc3 c6
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, 50% at 2200 and up and 43% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 965K | |
| 1400–1799 | 893K | |
| 1800–2199 | 263K | |
| 2200 and up | 36K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,679 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Le Quang Liem
- Grischuk, A. – Caruana, F.
- Grischuk, A. – Caruana, F.
- Grischuk, A. – Caruana, F.
- Grischuk, A. – Caruana, F.
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 27, 2026
Overview
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System (ECO D20, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a gambit in the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Saduleto Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nf6 (3 moves).
In 684,166 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 54.1%, Black 41.6% and 4.3% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nc3, in 57% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System
4. e5 scores best for White: 57.6%, with White winning 55.4% and Black 40.1% of 252K games. The most played answer, 4. Nc3, scores lowest: 55.9% in 389K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 4. e5.
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: Central Variation, Alekhine System peaked in 2021 at 0.03% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.023% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.025% | 8,814 |
| 2017 | 0.022% | 12,158 |
| 2018 | 0.021% | 16,508 |
| 2019 | 0.023% | 29,308 |
| 2020 | 0.028% | 80,589 |
| 2021 | 0.03% | 117,512 |
| 2022 | 0.029% | 108,693 |
| 2023 | 0.028% | 104,574 |
| 2024 | 0.025% | 89,928 |
| 2025 | 0.023% | 80,837 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.023% | 25,637 |
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System (D20)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-accepted-central-variation-alekhine-system