Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
100,069 games: White 42.7% / Draw 9.0% / Black 48.3%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 73,46073K | ||
| 14,93315K | ||
| 9,5409,540 | ||
| 1,3141,314 | ||
| 181181 | ||
| 163163 | ||
| 157157 | ||
| 123123 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.06 The position is about equal
Best play: 9. Bxe7 Qxe7 10. Rc1 Bb7 11. Be2 Nf6 12. O-O Nbd7 13. Qa4 a6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation (ECO D59, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit in the Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Be7 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 b6 8. cxd5 Nxd5 (8 moves).
In 100,069 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 42.7%, Black 48.3% and 9.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 9. Bxe7, in 73% of those games.
It continues into one named variation, Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense.
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How to play against the Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation
9. Bg3 scores best for White: 49.1%, with White winning 45.4% and Black 47.3% of 9,540 games. The most played answer, 9. Bxe7, scores lowest: 47.5% in 73K games. Stockfish's first choice is 9. Bxe7.
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
Variations (1)
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation (D59)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-tartakower-defense-makogonov-exchange-variation