- ECO code
- D31
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7
- Family
- Queen's Gambit Declined
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 382
- Average game length
- 43 moves
- Years covered
- 1905–2026
Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D31, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family and is known as the Charousek Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 382 games on this line — the 255th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1905 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 106 games. An average game here lasts 43 moves.
White wins 34% of those games, 49% 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 14 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.Nf3, played in 194 games, followed by 4.cxd5 (164) and 4.Bf4 (22). After 4.Nf3 White scores 24% and Black 16%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (29 games); on the Black side, Spassky, Boris V (24).
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Results in master games
- White 34% (131)
- Draws 49% (187)
- Black 17% (64)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.Nf3 | 194 | 24/60/16 | — |
| 4.cxd5 | 164 | 46/35/19 | — |
| 4.Bf4 | 22 | 41/50/9 | — |
| 4.e3 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
| 4.Qc2 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
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 Declined · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 · 3,217 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 · 2,147 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 29
- Giri,A 17
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 17
As Black
- Spassky, Boris V 24
- Nakamura,Hi 19
- Tang,Andrew 18
Games per decade
- 1900s 1
- 1920s 1
- 1950s 1
- 1960s 40
- 1970s 21
- 1980s 33
- 1990s 31
- 2000s 45
- 2010s 103
- 2020s 106
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsen,M | So,W | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 |
| Giri,A | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
| Giri,A | Huang,Renjie | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Final |
| Giri,A | Sindarov,Javokhir | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE Candidates 2026 |
| Lazavik,Denis | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Carlsen,M | Nihal,Sarin | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Feb 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D31, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family.
Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation good for White or for Black?
In 382 master games on this line White wins 34%, 49% 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 Declined: Charousek Variation?
4.Nf3 — played in 194 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (29), Giri,A (17), Kortschnoj, Viktor (17); on the Black side Spassky, Boris V (24), Nakamura,Hi (19), Tang,Andrew (18).
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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