Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
53,596 games: White 45.9% / Draw 5.9% / Black 48.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 22,60523K | ||
| 7,4477,447 | ||
| 7,1767,176 | ||
| 4,8274,827 | ||
| 4,3034,303 | ||
| 2,2222,222 | ||
| 1,8221,822 | ||
| 1,3601,360 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 28, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.29 The position is about equal
Best play: 7. cxd5 exd5 8. Bd3 Qa5 9. Qc2 c4 10. Bf5 O-O 11. O-O Re8
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation (ECO D38, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a declined gambit in the Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3 c5 (6 moves).
In 53,596 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 45.9%, Black 48.2% and 5.9% were drawn. White's most played move here is 7. cxd5, in 42% 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: Westphalian Variation
7. Be2 scores best for White: 51.0%, with White winning 48.6% and Black 46.7% of 4,827 games. The most played, 7. cxd5, scores 49.8% in 23K games, and 7. a3 scores lowest: 44.8%. Stockfish's first choice is 7. cxd5.
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: Westphalian Variation (D38)”. Lichess data as of 28 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/queens-gambit-declined-westphalian-variation