Queen's Gambit Declined: Alapin Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
136,884 games: White 53.4% / Draw 4.5% / Black 42.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 54,83155K | ||
| 35,13135K | ||
| 16,89417K | ||
| 11,90312K | ||
| 7,2867,286 | ||
| 3,9573,957 | ||
| 2,8362,836 | ||
| 1,7481,748 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.58 White is slightly better
Best play: 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Ne5 Be7 7. Bf4 O-O 8. e3 Bb7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Alapin Variation (ECO D31, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit that starts 1. d4 e6 2. c4 b6 3. Nc3 d5.
In 136,884 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.4%, Black 42.1% and 4.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 4. Nf3, in 40% 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 Declined: Alapin Variation
4. cxd5 scores best for White: 58.5%, with White winning 56.3% and Black 39.2% of 35K games. The most played, 4. Nf3, scores 55.1% in 55K games, and 4. e3 scores lowest: 52.9%. Stockfish's first choice is 4. 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
Transpositions
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Alapin Variation (D31)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-alapin-variation