Chess Codex
Tree path 6 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Queen's Gambit › Queen's Gambit Declined › Queen's Knight Variation › Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation › Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation
  1. Chess Codex
  2. Queen's Pawn Game D00
  3. Queen's Gambit D06
  4. Queen's Gambit Declined D30
  5. Queen's Knight Variation D31
  6. Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation D31
  7. Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation D59 you are here
D59

Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation

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Overview

Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation is a gambit, classified under ECO code D59 within the Closed & Semi-Closed Games family. As with all gambits, one side sacrifices material early — usually a pawn — in exchange for development, open lines, or initiative.

The Closed & Semi-Closed Games group covers closed and semi-closed games — 1.d4 systems characterised by long strategic manoeuvring rather than early tactics.

It is reached after 16 plies of play, with the move sequence 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.

It is a variation of Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation, which itself descends from the root opening Queen's Pawn Game.

It continues primarily into one named line, Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense.

Step through the moves on the interactive board below, review the live Lichess statistics, or play this position against Stockfish at one of six difficulty levels.

ECO code
D59
Group
Closed & Semi-Closed Games (D)
Plies
16
Parent
Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation
Direct variations
1

This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.

Statistics from Lichess

100,069 games · White 42.7% / Draw 9.0% / Black 48.3%

MovesGamesW / D / B
Bxe773,460
Nxd514,933
Bg39,540
Bd31,314
Rc1181
e4163
Be2157
Bc4123

Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 03:12:23

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Variations (1)

Related variations at the same level

Sister lines that share the same parent Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation:

https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-tartakower-defense-makogonov-exchange-variation