Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
32,803 games: White 52.1% / Draw 6.2% / Black 41.7%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,9447,944 | ||
| 6,6896,689 | ||
| 5,0925,092 | ||
| 4,9964,996 | ||
| 2,9042,904 | ||
| 2,3202,320 | ||
| 923923 | ||
| 840840 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 25, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.04 The position is about equal
Best play: 6... c5 7. Nf3 cxd4 8. Nxd4 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Qa5 10. Bh4 Bd7 11. a3
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation (ECO D54, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit that starts 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Rc1.
In 32,803 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.1%, Black 41.7% and 6.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…c6, in 24% 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: Neo-Orthodox Variation
6…a6 scores best for Black: 46.1%, with Black winning 43.0% and White 50.7% of 2,904 games. The most played, 6…c6, scores 45.2% in 7,944 games, and 6…h6 scores lowest: 44.4%. Stockfish's first choice is 6…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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation (D54)”. Lichess data as of 25 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-neo-orthodox-variation