Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Capablanca Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,536 games: White 53.6% / Draw 6.1% / Black 40.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,2221,222 | ||
| 132132 | ||
| 124124 | ||
| 3131 | ||
| 1313 | ||
| 99 | ||
| 22 | ||
| 22 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 13, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.22 The position is about equal
Best play: 9... Bb7 10. O-O c5 11. Re1 c4 12. Ne5 Nxe5 13. dxe5 Ne8 14. Bxe7
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Capablanca Variation (ECO D63, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit that starts 1. Nf3 d5 2. d4 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Rc1 b6 8. cxd5 exd5 9. Bb5.
In 1,536 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.6%, Black 40.3% and 6.1% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…Bb7, in 80% 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: Orthodox Defense, Capablanca Variation
The most played answer, 9…Bb7, also scores best for Black: 44.7%, with Black winning 41.2% and White 51.8% of 1,222 games. Of the main answers, 9…c5 scores lowest: 36.7%. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…Bb7.
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: Orthodox Defense, Capablanca Variation (D63)”. Lichess data as of 13 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-orthodox-defense-capablanca-variation