Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation 5…Nbd7 6. e3
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Statistics from Lichess
16,980 games: White 53.8% / Draw 6.1% / Black 40.1%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,3946,394 | ||
| 3,6413,641 | ||
| 2,0982,098 | ||
| 2,0322,032 | ||
| 1,1901,190 | ||
| 454454 | ||
| 397397 | ||
| 285285 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.11 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... Be7 7. Rc1 O-O 8. Be2 c5 9. O-O b6 10. Ne5 Bb7 11. Nxd7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation (ECO D30, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit that starts 1. d4 Nf6 2. Nf3 e6 3. c4 d5 4. Bg5 c6 5. Nbd2 Nbd7 6. e3.
In 16,980 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.8%, Black 40.1% and 6.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Be7, in 38% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 6. e3
The most played answer, 6…Be7, also scores best for Black: 44.1%, with Black winning 40.9% and White 52.7% of 6,394 games. Of the main answers, 6…Bb4 scores lowest: 41.4%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Be7.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation (D30)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-capablanca-variation-2