Queen's Gambit Accepted: Rosenthal Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,241,317 games: White 55.8% / Draw 4.9% / Black 39.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 383,926384K | ||
| 360,271360K | ||
| 238,300238K | ||
| 123,042123K | ||
| 55,32955K | ||
| 24,30124K | ||
| 21,52122K | ||
| 16,29816K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.26 The position is about equal
Best play: 4. e3 c5 5. Bxc4 Nf6 6. O-O a6 7. b3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Be7
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 42% under 1400, 45% at 2200 and up and 45% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 517K | |
| 1400–1799 | 1M | |
| 1800–2199 | 629K | |
| 2200 and up | 55K | |
| Masters, over the board | 1,385 |
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 27, 2026
Overview
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Rosenthal Variation (ECO D21, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a gambit in the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 e6 (3 moves).
In 1,241,317 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.8%, Black 39.3% and 4.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nc3, in 31% 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: Rosenthal Variation
4. g3 scores best for White: 60.1%, with White winning 57.7% and Black 37.5% of 123K games. The most played, 4. Nc3, scores 58.4% in 384K games, and 4. e4 scores lowest: 56.6%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. e3.
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: Rosenthal Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.045% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.062%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.062% | 22,005 |
| 2017 | 0.058% | 31,738 |
| 2018 | 0.055% | 42,885 |
| 2019 | 0.053% | 65,683 |
| 2020 | 0.048% | 141,962 |
| 2021 | 0.047% | 183,085 |
| 2022 | 0.049% | 184,235 |
| 2023 | 0.048% | 178,903 |
| 2024 | 0.045% | 162,967 |
| 2025 | 0.045% | 154,718 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.046% | 49,987 |
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: Rosenthal Variation (D21)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-accepted-rosenthal-variation