Queen's Gambit Declined: Manhattan Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
78,650 games: White 53.1% / Draw 5.0% / Black 41.8%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 28,98629K | ||
| 11,81212K | ||
| 9,5279,527 | ||
| 9,0489,048 | ||
| 5,5365,536 | ||
| 3,9603,960 | ||
| 2,8132,813 | ||
| 2,4222,422 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 29, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.40 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bd3 O-O 8. a3 Be7 9. Nf3 Re8 10. Qc2 c6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Manhattan Variation (ECO D51, 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 Bb4 (5 moves).
In 78,650 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.1%, Black 41.8% and 5.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. Nf3, in 37% 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: Manhattan Variation
6. cxd5 scores best for White: 58.0%, with White winning 55.8% and Black 39.7% of 12K games. The most played, 6. Nf3, scores 56.0% in 29K games, and 6. a3 scores lowest: 51.5%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. cxd5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Manhattan Variation (D51)”. Lichess data as of 29 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-manhattan-variation