Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Exchange Variation 6…Nxc3 7. bxc3
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Statistics from Lichess
307,246 games: White 48.5% / Draw 8.5% / Black 42.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 225,149225K | ||
| 53,19753K | ||
| 12,97913K | ||
| 5,5915,591 | ||
| 3,1453,145 | ||
| 2,5542,554 | ||
| 1,3061,306 | ||
| 1,1201,120 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.30 White is slightly better
Best play: 7... cxd4 8. cxd4 Bb4+ 9. Bd2 Bxd2+ 10. Qxd2 O-O 11. Bc4 Nd7 12. O-O
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
The stronger the players, the worse this line does for White: White scores 54% under 1400, 51% at 2200 and up and 57% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 8,705 | |
| 1400–1799 | 81K | |
| 1800–2199 | 162K | |
| 2200 and up | 87K | |
| Masters, over the board | 2,696 |
Master games
- Carlsen, M. – Kramnik, V.
- Carlsen, M. – Ding Liren
- Carlsen, M. – Kramnik, V.
- Topalov, V. – Carlsen, M.
- Carlsen, M. – Giri, A.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Exchange Variation (ECO D41, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit in the Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Exchange Variation, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5 Nxd5 6. e4 Nxc3 7. bxc3 (7 moves).
In 307,246 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 48.5%, Black 42.9% and 8.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…cxd4, in 73% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to answer 7. bxc3
The most played answer, 7…cxd4, also scores best for Black: 48.4%, with Black winning 43.6% and White 46.9% of 225K games. Of the main answers, 7…Nc6 scores lowest: 44.2%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…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
Popularity by year
This line peaked in 2018 at 0.014% of Lichess games and has slipped since: 0.011% in 2025.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.0098% | 3,488 |
| 2017 | 0.011% | 6,120 |
| 2018 | 0.014% | 10,910 |
| 2019 | 0.014% | 16,991 |
| 2020 | 0.013% | 37,295 |
| 2021 | 0.011% | 42,546 |
| 2022 | 0.012% | 46,006 |
| 2023 | 0.012% | 46,149 |
| 2024 | 0.012% | 41,423 |
| 2025 | 0.011% | 38,530 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.012% | 12,820 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Exchange Variation (D41)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-semi-tarrasch-defense-exchange-variation-2