- ECO code
- A41
- Moves
- 1.d4 d6
- Family
- Queen's Pawn Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 671
- Average game length
- 44 moves
- Years covered
- 1903–2026
Queen's Pawn Game is the opening filed under ECO code A41, reached after 1.d4 d6. It belongs to the Queen's Pawn Game family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 671 games on this line — the 168th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1903 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 294 games. An average game here lasts 44 moves.
White wins 41% of those games, 25% end in a draw, and Black wins 34%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 6 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 10 points.
From this position the most popular move is 2.Nf3, played in 295 games, followed by 2.e4 (273) and 2.c4 (78). After 2.Nf3 White scores 39% and Black 36%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Mamedyarov,S (30 games); on the Black side, Erigaisi,Arjun (45).
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Results in master games
- White 41% (274)
- Draws 25% (167)
- Black 34% (230)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.Nf3 | 295 | 39/25/36 | — |
| 2.e4 | 273 | 45/24/31 | — |
| 2.c4 | 78 | 33/26/41 | — |
| 2.g3 | 11 | 27/55/18 | — |
| 2.Bg5 | 5 | 40/40/20 | — |
| 2.Nc3 | 5 | 60/0/40 | — |
| 2.a4 | 2 | 100/0/0 | — |
| 2.Bf4 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
Played most often by
As White
- Mamedyarov,S 30
- Grischuk,A 19
- Caruana,F 17
As Black
- Erigaisi,Arjun 45
- Caruana,F 42
- Bortnyk,Olexandr 31
Games per decade
- 1900s 4
- 1910s 3
- 1920s 1
- 1940s 1
- 1950s 4
- 1960s 6
- 1970s 10
- 1980s 29
- 1990s 85
- 2000s 48
- 2010s 186
- 2020s 294
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caruana,F | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 23rd Apr 2026 |
| Keymer,Vincent | Pakleza,Z | 1-0 | 2026 | Titled Tue 13th Jan 2026 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 0-1 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Mar 2026 |
| Caruana,F | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 1-0 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 19th Feb 2026 |
| Bluebaum,M | Erigaisi,Arjun | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | 88th Tata Steel Masters |
| Andreikin,D | Carlsen,M | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 25th Jun 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Pawn Game?
It is the opening with ECO code A41, reached after 1.d4 d6. It belongs to the Queen's Pawn Game family.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game good for White or for Black?
In 671 master games on this line White wins 41%, 25% are drawn and Black wins 34%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is a slightly better bargain for Black than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the Queen's Pawn Game?
2.Nf3 — played in 295 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Pawn Game?
On the White side Mamedyarov,S (30), Grischuk,A (19), Caruana,F (17); on the Black side Erigaisi,Arjun (45), Caruana,F (42), Bortnyk,Olexandr (31).
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
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