- ECO code
- D50
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5
- Family
- Queen's Gambit Declined
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 453
- Average game length
- 41 moves
- Years covered
- 1873–2026
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D50, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family and is known as the Modern Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 453 games on this line — the 228th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1873 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 1900s, with 115 games. An average game here lasts 41 moves.
White wins 42% of those games, 40% end in a draw, and Black wins 18%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 10 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 5 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...Be7, played in 278 games, followed by 4...Nbd7 (149) and 4...c6 (11). After 4...Be7 White scores 41% and Black 17%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Marshall, Frank James (91 games); on the Black side, Lasker, Emanuel (32).
Reading about an opening is not the same as knowing it. Play this line against the Katuranga bot, then let the engine mark your brilliant moves, mistakes and blunders in Analysis — the fastest way to find out which of these moves you actually understand.
Results in master games
- White 42% (190)
- Draws 40% (182)
- Black 18% (81)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Be7 | 278 | 41/42/17 | — |
| 4...Nbd7 | 149 | 41/38/21 | — |
| 4...c6 | 11 | 64/27/9 | — |
| 4...dxc4 | 8 | 49/38/13 | — |
| 4...c5 | 5 | 60/40/0 | — |
| 4...Bb4 | 2 | 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
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 · 899 games
Played most often by
As White
- Marshall, Frank James 91
- Alekhine, Alexander 39
- Pillsbury, Harry Nelson 37
As Black
- Lasker, Emanuel 32
- Rubinstein, Akiba 22
- Janowsky, Dawid Markelowicz 19
Games per decade
- 1870s 1
- 1880s 3
- 1890s 45
- 1900s 115
- 1910s 25
- 1920s 72
- 1930s 65
- 1940s 16
- 1950s 19
- 1960s 14
- 1970s 3
- 1980s 11
- 1990s 17
- 2000s 4
- 2010s 17
- 2020s 26
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nakamura,Hi | Esipenko,Andrey | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 16th Jun 2026 |
| Ivanchuk,V | Cieslak,Patryk | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | TIPOS TCh-SVK 2025-26 |
| Sarana,A | Caruana,F | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 27th Jan 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Khanin,S | 1-0 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz RR |
| Ivanchuk,V | Artemiev,V | 1-0 | 2026 | FIDE World Bl Team Pool D |
| Sarana,A | Caruana,F | 1-0 | 2025 | Titled Tue 25th Mar Late |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D50, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family.
Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation good for White or for Black?
In 453 master games on this line White wins 42%, 40% are drawn and Black wins 18%. 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: Modern Variation?
4...Be7 — played in 278 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation?
On the White side Marshall, Frank James (91), Alekhine, Alexander (39), Pillsbury, Harry Nelson (37); on the Black side Lasker, Emanuel (32), Rubinstein, Akiba (22), Janowsky, Dawid Markelowicz (19).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
Play this opening against the Katuranga bot, then review the game — the engine marks every brilliant move, mistake and blunder.