Caissa Codex
D52

Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation

Chess diagram: Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation after 9. Bh4

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

2,432 games: White 51.3% / Draw 6.7% / Black 42.1%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
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Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.06 The position is about equal

Best play: 9... c5 10. dxc5 Qxc5 11. Be2 dxc4 12. O-O b5 13. a4 bxa4 14. Nxa4

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation (ECO D52, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit in the Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e3 c6 6. Nf3 Qa5 7. Nd2 Bb4 8. Qc2 O-O 9. Bh4 (9 moves).

In 2,432 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 51.3%, Black 42.1% and 6.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…c5, in 23% of those games.

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How to play against the Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation

9…e5 scores best for Black: 52.0%, with Black winning 47.0% and White 43.1% of 434 games. The most played, 9…c5, scores 49.5% in 564 games, and 9…dxc4 scores lowest: 34.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 9…c5.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 6. Nf3 Qa5 7. Nd2 Bb4 8. Qc2 O-O 9. Bh4, the position after Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation (D52)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-cambridge-springs-defense-argentine-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-cambridge-springs-defense-argentine-variation