- ECO code
- D30
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6
- Family
- Queen's Gambit Declined
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 3,217
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1848–2026
Queen's Gambit Declined is the opening filed under ECO code D30, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 3,217 games on this line — the 42nd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1848 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 1,211 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 39% of those games, 38% end in a draw, and Black wins 23%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 5 percentage points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.Nc3, played in 2,147 games, followed by 3.Nf3 (1,036) and 3.g3 (16). 3.Nc3 leads into Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation. After 3.Nc3 White scores 39% and Black 22%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (175 games); on the Black side, Carlsen,M (124).
6 named variations branch off this position and have their own page here, among them Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation; Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense; Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation.
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 39% (1,244)
- Draws 38% (1,230)
- Black 23% (743)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.Nc3 | 2,147 | 39/39/22 | Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation |
| 3.Nf3 | 1,036 | 37/37/26 | — |
| 3.g3 | 16 | 31/50/19 | — |
| 3.cxd5 | 13 | 31/38/31 | — |
| 3.e3 | 4 | 25/0/75 | — |
| 3.Bf4 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
Variations from this position
- Queen's Knight Variation · 3.Nc3 · 2,147 games
- Normal Defense · 3.Nc3 Nf6 · 899 games
- Modern Variation · 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 · 453 games
- Charousek Variation · 3.Nc3 Be7 · 382 games
- Tarrasch Defense · 3.Nc3 c5 · 320 games
- Semi-Slav Defense: Accelerated Move Order · 3.Nc3 c6 · 282 games
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
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 175
- Marshall, Frank James 175
- Alekhine, Alexander 87
As Black
- Carlsen,M 124
- Abdusattorov,Nodirbek 98
- Erigaisi,Arjun 94
Games per decade
- 1840s 1
- 1850s 3
- 1870s 2
- 1880s 8
- 1890s 104
- 1900s 238
- 1910s 65
- 1920s 162
- 1930s 121
- 1940s 57
- 1950s 74
- 1960s 90
- 1970s 64
- 1980s 118
- 1990s 207
- 2000s 243
- 2010s 449
- 2020s 1,211
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vachier Lagrave,M | Klukin,Kirill | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 17th Mar 2026 |
| Fedoseev,Vl3 | Praggnanandhaa,R | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
| Nakamura,Hi | Bluebaum,M | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 12th Feb 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | So,W | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 20th Jan 2026 |
| Bluebaum,M | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
| Nakamura,Hi | Esipenko,Andrey | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 16th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Gambit Declined?
It is the opening with ECO code D30, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6. It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family.
Is the Queen's Gambit Declined good for White or for Black?
In 3,217 master games on this line White wins 39%, 38% are drawn and Black wins 23%. 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?
3.Nc3 — played in 2,147 of the master games on this line, which leads into Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Gambit Declined?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (175), Marshall, Frank James (175), Alekhine, Alexander (87); on the Black side Carlsen,M (124), Abdusattorov,Nodirbek (98), Erigaisi,Arjun (94).
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.