Caissa Codex
D50

Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Primitive Pillsbury Variation

Chess diagram: Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Primitive Pillsbury Variation after 6. Qxd4

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Statistics from Lichess

51,032 games: White 45.5% / Draw 6.0% / Black 48.5%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
24,06424K
23,70924K
1,0261,026
968968
577577
385385
116116
4646

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 9, 2026

Engine evaluation

−0.14 The position is about equal

Best play: 6... Nc6 7. Bxf6 gxf6 8. Qh4 dxc4 9. Rd1 Bd7 10. e3 f5 11. Qxc4

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, Primitive Pillsbury 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. Nf3 cxd4 6. Qxd4 (6 moves).

In 51,032 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.5%, Black 48.5% and 6.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 6…Nc6, in 47% of those games.

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

The most played answer, 6…Nc6, also scores best for Black: 54.9%, with Black winning 52.0% and White 42.3% of 24K games. Of the main answers, 6…Be7 scores lowest: 49.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6…Nc6.

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

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 5. Nf3 cxd4 6. Qxd4, 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, Primitive Pillsbury Variation (D50)”. Lichess data as of 9 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-pseudo-tarrasch-variation-primitive-pillsbury-variation

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