ECO D02 · Queen's Pawn Game

Queen's Pawn Game: Krause Variation

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5

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

3. c4+0.33

White is slightly better. Stockfish 18, depth 18.

Analyze this position

In the Queen's Pawn Game: Krause Variation (D02), reached after 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5, Stockfish 18 recommends 3. c4 for White. White is slightly better (+0.33).

Top engine moves

  1. +0.333. c4 Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nxd5 6. e4 Nb4 7. Be3 e5
  2. +0.303. dxc5 e6 4. Be3 Nf6 5. c4 Nc6 6. Nc3 Ng4 7. Bg5 f6
  3. +0.123. e3 Nf6 4. Be2 g6 5. dxc5 Bg7 6. b4 a5 7. c3 Ne4

Frequently asked questions

What is the best move in the Queen's Pawn Game: Krause Variation?
After 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5, Stockfish 18 at depth 18 recommends 3. c4 for White, continuing Nf6 4. cxd5 cxd4 5. Nxd4 Nxd5 6. e4 Nb4 7. Be3 e5. White is slightly better (+0.33). The next best moves are 3. dxc5 (+0.30) and 3. e3 (+0.12).
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Krause Variation a good opening?
Stockfish rates the position at +0.33: 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 Pawn Game: Krause Variation?
D02. 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+).