ECO D30 · Queen's Gambit Declined

Queen's Gambit Declined

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6

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White to move. The arrow shows Stockfish’s best move.
Best move

3. Nf3+0.36

White is slightly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Queen's Gambit Declined (D30), reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6, Stockfish 18 recommends 3. Nf3 for White. White is slightly better (+0.36).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.363. Nf3 dxc4 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O a6 7. Qe2 b5
  2. +0.353. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Bb4 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 g5
  3. +0.243. cxd5 exd5 4. Bf4 Bf5 5. e3 Bd6 6. Bxd6 Qxd6 7. Nc3 Nf6

Other move orders

  • 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7
  • 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Nf3
  • 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. Bg5 Be7
  • 1. d4 d5 2. c4 c6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 e6 5. Bg5 Nbd7 6. e3
  • 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 dxc4 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e4
  • 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O
  • 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. Nf3 c6 6. e3 dxc4 7. Bxc4
  • 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Rc1 h6 8. Bh4

All Queen's Gambit Declined variations (137)

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Queen's Gambit Declined?
After 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 3. Nf3 for White, continuing dxc4 4. e3 Nf6 5. Bxc4 c5 6. O-O a6 7. Qe2 b5. White is slightly better (+0.36). The next best moves are 3. Nc3 (+0.35) and 3. cxd5 (+0.24).
Is the Queen's Gambit Declined a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.36: white is slightly better. Evaluations this early in the game are small, so practical results depend far more on knowing the plans and typical structures than on the engine's number.
What is the ECO code of the Queen's Gambit Declined?
D30. ECO codes classify chess openings from A00 to E99; D is the volume for closed and semi-closed games.

Opening names from the Lichess opening book (CC0). Pieces by Colin M.L. Burnett (GPLv2+).