Tree path 6 levels Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation › Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line › Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense › Main Line › Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line › Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation
- Chess Codex
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation D37
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line D55
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense D60
- Main Line D63
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line D63
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation D68 you are here
Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation belongs to the gambit family of chess openings (ECO D68, Closed & Semi-Closed Games). It trades material for attacking chances — a classic trade-off that has fascinated players from the Romantic era to modern correspondence chess.
The Closed & Semi-Closed Games group covers closed and semi-closed games — 1.d4 systems characterised by long strategic manoeuvring rather than early tactics.
Play reaches this position via 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 7. Rc1 c6 8. Bd3 dxc4 9. Bxc4 Nd5 10. Bxe7 Qxe7 11. O-O Nxc3 12. Rxc3 e5 13. Qc2, after 25 plies of opening development.
The line refines Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line, which traces back to the root opening Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation.
Explore the position on the interactive board, study its real-world results from Lichess, and challenge the engine when you are ready.
- ECO code
- D68
- Group
- Closed & Semi-Closed Games (D)
- Plies
- 25
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
940 games · White 49.0% / Draw 9.5% / Black 41.5%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| exd4 | 486 | |
| e4 | 388 | |
| Re8 | 20 | |
| h6 | 13 | |
| Kh8 | 11 | |
| b6 | 9 | |
| Nb6 | 5 | |
| Qf6 | 2 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 03:31:27
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