Caissa Codex
D50

Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation

Chess diagram: Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation after 5. cxd5

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Statistics from Lichess

80,217 games: White 50.3% / Draw 5.2% / Black 44.5%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
59,95460K
16,48616K
Canal Variation 1,4881,488
939939
832832
133133
9191
7777

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.34 White is slightly better

Best play: 5... cxd4 6. Qxd4 Be7 7. e4 exd5 8. Bb5+ Nc6 9. Bxf6 Bxf6 10. e5

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation (ECO D50, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit in the Queen's Gambit Declined: Been-Koomen Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 c5 5. cxd5 (5 moves).

In 80,217 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 50.3%, Black 44.5% and 5.2% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 5…exd5, in 75% of those games.

It continues into one named variation, Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Canal Variation.

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How to play against the Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation

5…cxd4 scores best for Black: 48.2%, with Black winning 45.4% and White 49.0% of 16K games. The most played answer, 5…exd5, scores lowest: 46.8% in 60K games. Stockfish's first choice is also 5…cxd4.

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

Variations (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5. cxd5, the position after Queen's Gambit Declined: Been-Koomen Variation also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation (D50)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-pseudo-tarrasch-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-pseudo-tarrasch-variation