- ECO code
- D26
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6
- Family
- Queen's Gambit Accepted
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 320
- Average game length
- 40 moves
- Years covered
- 1890–2026
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System is the opening filed under ECO code D26, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Accepted family and is known as the Normal Variation, Traditional System; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 320 games on this line — the 291st most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1890 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 149 games. An average game here lasts 40 moves.
White wins 27% of those games, 56% end in a draw, and Black wins 17%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 11 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 21 points.
From this position the most popular move is 5.Bxc4, played in 318 games, followed by 5.Nc3 (2). After 5.Bxc4 White scores 27% and Black 17%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (22 games); on the Black side, Karjakin,Sergey (20).
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Results in master games
- White 27% (87)
- Draws 56% (178)
- Black 17% (55)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5.Bxc4 | 318 | 27/56/17 | — |
| 5.Nc3 | 2 | 50/50/0 | — |
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 d5 · 11,560 games
- Queen's Gambit · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 · 8,858 games
- Queen's Gambit Accepted · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 · 1,226 games
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 · 662 games
- Queen's Gambit Accepted · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 · 488 games
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 · 435 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 22
- Ding Liren 16
- Spassky, Boris V 14
As Black
- Karjakin,Sergey 20
- Aronian,L 16
- Dominguez Perez,L 15
Games per decade
- 1890s 1
- 1900s 1
- 1930s 9
- 1940s 2
- 1950s 9
- 1960s 26
- 1970s 17
- 1980s 11
- 1990s 20
- 2000s 47
- 2010s 28
- 2020s 149
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yu Yangyi | So,W | 1-0 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn2 KO |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Nakamura,Hi | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Anand,V | Ibarra Jerez,JC | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool A |
| Suleymanli,Aydin | Mamedyarov,S | 0-1 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool D |
| Ibrahimli,Murad | Mamedyarov,S | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 80th ch-AZE 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Giri,A | 1-0 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System?
It is the opening with ECO code D26, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Accepted family.
Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System good for White or for Black?
In 320 master games on this line White wins 27%, 56% are drawn and Black wins 17%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System?
5.Bxc4 — played in 318 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (22), Ding Liren (16), Spassky, Boris V (14); on the Black side Karjakin,Sergey (20), Aronian,L (16), Dominguez Perez,L (15).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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