Queen's Gambit Declined: Stonewall Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
3,084 games: White 47.8% / Draw 6.7% / Black 45.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 1,5011,501 | ||
| 642642 | ||
| 312312 | ||
| 158158 | ||
| 124124 | ||
| 9292 | ||
| 8080 | ||
| 4444 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 24, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.49 White is slightly better
Best play: 7. Ne5 Qf6 8. O-O Nd7 9. f4 Nxe5 10. fxe5 Qh6 11. Nxe4 dxe4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Stonewall Variation (ECO D30, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit in the Semi-Slav Defense: Quiet Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. Nbd2 Ne4 6. Bd3 f5 (6 moves).
In 3,084 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 45.5% and 6.7% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. O-O, in 49% 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: Stonewall Variation
7. Ne5 scores best for White: 56.2%, with White winning 53.1% and Black 40.8% of 642 games. The most played, 7. O-O, scores 51.4% in 1,501 games, and 7. cxd5 scores lowest: 47.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7. Ne5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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: Stonewall Variation (D30)”. Lichess data as of 24 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-stonewall-variation