- ECO code
- D37
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3
- Family
- Queen's Gambit Declined
- To move
- Black
- Master games
- 2,814
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1922–2026
Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation is the opening filed under ECO code D37, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family and is known as the Three Knights Variation; in the resulting position it is Black to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 2,814 games on this line — the 46th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1922 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 1,361 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 28% of those games, 51% end in a draw, and Black wins 21%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 7 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 16 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4...Be7, played in 803 games, followed by 4...Bb4 (707) and 4...c6 (400). After 4...Be7 White scores 26% and Black 17%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (203 games); on the Black side, Aronian,L (165).
4 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense; Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack; Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense.
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Results in master games
- White 28% (796)
- Draws 51% (1,415)
- Black 21% (603)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4...Be7 | 803 | 26/57/17 | — |
| 4...Bb4 | 707 | 31/48/21 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense |
| 4...c6 | 400 | 28/44/28 | — |
| 4...c5 | 389 | 30/51/19 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense |
| 4...dxc4 | 215 | 27/46/27 | — |
| 4...Nbd7 | 202 | 28/50/22 | — |
| 4...a6 | 70 | 30/40/30 | — |
| 4...h6 | 25 | 32/36/32 | — |
Variations from this position
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense · 4...Bb4 · 707 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack · 4...Be7 5.Bf4 · 448 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense · 4...c5 · 389 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense · 4...c5 5.cxd5 · 309 games
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
- Indian Defense: Normal Variation · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 · 22,243 games
- Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian · 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 · 7,325 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 203
- Carlsen,M 128
- Aronian,L 106
As Black
- Aronian,L 165
- Nakamura,Hi 157
- So,W 121
Games per decade
- 1920s 11
- 1930s 23
- 1940s 11
- 1950s 15
- 1960s 32
- 1970s 29
- 1980s 93
- 1990s 126
- 2000s 264
- 2010s 849
- 2020s 1,361
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sindarov,Javokhir | Giri,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super ROM Classic |
| Keymer,Vincent | Carlsen,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 6th Jan 2026 |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Gukesh,D | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | GCT Super Rapid Poland |
| Firouzja,Alireza | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | SpeedChess Final 2025 |
| Duda,J | Nakamura,Hi | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 26th Feb 2026 |
| Sindarov,Javokhir | Giri,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | FIDE Candidates 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code D37, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family.
Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation good for White or for Black?
In 2,814 master games on this line White wins 28%, 51% are drawn and Black wins 21%. 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: Three Knights Variation?
4...Be7 — played in 803 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (203), Carlsen,M (128), Aronian,L (106); on the Black side Aronian,L (165), Nakamura,Hi (157), So,W (121).
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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