Caissa Codex
D35

Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Sämisch Variation

Chess diagram: Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Sämisch Variation after 6. Bf4

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Statistics from Lichess

19,744 games: White 52.8% / Draw 6.7% / Black 40.5%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
12,07612K
3,3583,358
1,3621,362
1,2171,217
548548
424424
380380
199199

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 6, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.20 The position is about equal

Best play: 6... c6 7. e3 Nh5 8. Bg5 Be7 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Be2 g6 11. O-O

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

Overview

Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Sämisch Variation (ECO D35, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit in the Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4 (6 moves).

In 19,744 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.8%, Black 40.5% and 6.7% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…c6, in 61% of those games.

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How to play against the Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Sämisch Variation

6…Bb4 scores best for Black: 45.6%, with Black winning 42.4% and White 51.2% of 3,358 games. The most played, 6…c6, scores 44.1% in 12K games, and 6…Be7 scores lowest: 41.1%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…c6.

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 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4, the position after Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Sämisch Variation (D35)”. Lichess data as of 6 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-exchange-variation-samisch-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-exchange-variation-samisch-variation