Tree path 6 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Queen's Gambit › Queen's Gambit Declined › Queen's Knight Variation › Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense › Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation
- Chess Codex
- Queen's Pawn Game D00
- Queen's Gambit D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined D30
- Queen's Knight Variation D31
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense D35
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation D50 you are here
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation is a sacrificial opening line filed under ECO D50 in the Closed & Semi-Closed Games group. The defining idea is the early concession of material to seize the initiative and unbalance the position.
The Closed & Semi-Closed Games group covers closed and semi-closed games — 1.d4 systems characterised by long strategic manoeuvring rather than early tactics.
It begins with 7 plies and takes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 to reach the canonical position.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense, part of the broader Queen's Pawn Game system.
4 named variations grow from this line, including Queen's Gambit Declined, Queen's Gambit Declined: Been-Koomen Variation, Knight Defense, and others.
Together the deeper variations number 27 across the full subtree.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- D50
- Group
- Closed & Semi-Closed Games (D)
- Plies
- 7
- Direct variations
- 4
- Total in subtree
- 27
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
9,405,673 games · White 50.4% / Draw 5.7% / Black 43.9%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Be7 | 5,758,863 | |
| Bb4 | 1,063,814 | |
| Nbd7 | 842,890 | |
| c6 | 738,397 | |
| dxc4 | 308,297 | |
| h6 | 273,490 | |
| c5 | 257,827 | |
| Nc6 | 47,602 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 01:42:55
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Variations (4)
Show all 27 sub-variations (full subtree)
- D53 Queen's Gambit Declined 8-ply
- D50 Queen's Gambit Declined: Been-Koomen Variation 8-ply
- D51 Knight Defense 8-ply
- D66 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Fianchetto Variation 18-ply
- D53 Queen's Gambit Declined 9-ply
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Alekhine Variation 11-ply
- D57 Lasker Defense, Bernstein Variation, Mar del Plata Gambit 24-ply
- D56 Lasker Defense, Russian Variation 26-ply
- D53 Modern Variation, Heral Variation 9-ply
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense 9-ply
- D66 Orthodox Defense, Bd3 Line 15-ply
- D50 Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation 9-ply
- D50 Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Primitive Pillsbury Variation 11-ply
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Rochlin Variation 13-ply
- D50 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Krause Variation 15-ply
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Manhattan Variation 10-ply
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense 10-ply
- D67 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Capablanca System 18-ply
- D50 Canal Variation 10-ply
- D52 Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation 17-ply
- D52 Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Capablanca Variation 13-ply
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation, Anti-Cambridge Springs Variation 11-ply
- D67 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Bd3 Line 20-ply
- D67 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Alekhine Variation 21-ply
- D67 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line 21-ply
- D68 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation 24-ply
- D69 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation 28-ply