- ECO code
- A45
- Moves
- 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5
- Family
- Queen's Pawn Game
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 418
- Average game length
- 45 moves
- Years covered
- 1923–2026
Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation is the opening filed under ECO code A45, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5. It belongs to the Queen's Pawn Game family and is known as the Chigorin Variation; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 418 games on this line — the 240th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1923 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 311 games. An average game here lasts 45 moves.
White wins 45% of those games, 20% end in a draw, and Black wins 35%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores better here by 7 percentage points. Draws are less common here than usual, by 15 points.
From this position the most popular move is 3.Bf4, played in 329 games, followed by 3.Bg5 (83) and 3.e4 (2). After 3.Bf4 White scores 47% and Black 37%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Erigaisi,Arjun (50 games); on the Black side, Caruana,F (27).
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Results in master games
- White 45% (186)
- Draws 20% (84)
- Black 35% (148)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.Bf4 | 329 | 47/16/37 | — |
| 3.Bg5 | 83 | 34/36/30 | — |
| 3.e4 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 3.Nf3 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 3.f3 | 1 | 0/100/0 | — |
| 3.Qd3 | 1 | 100/0/0 | — |
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Indian Defense · 1.d4 Nf6 · 29,631 games
Played most often by
As White
- Erigaisi,Arjun 50
- Bortnyk,Olexandr 49
- Firouzja,Alireza 26
As Black
- Caruana,F 27
- Keymer,Vincent 23
- Grischuk,A 19
Games per decade
- 1920s 5
- 1930s 2
- 1940s 1
- 1950s 3
- 1960s 12
- 1970s 6
- 1980s 6
- 1990s 22
- 2000s 10
- 2010s 40
- 2020s 311
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsen,M | Haug,Havard | 0-1 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 26th Mar 2026 |
| Sitbon,Itay | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 25th Jun 2026 |
| Schnaider,Ilan | Grischuk,A | 1-0 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 5th Feb 2026 |
| Bortnyk,Olexandr | Nepomniachtchi,I | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn1 |
| Carlsen,M | Bortnyk,Olexandr | 1-0 | 2026 | 2nd 3-0 Thu 29th Jan 2026 |
| Bortnyk,Olexandr | Caruana,F | 0-1 | 2026 | 3rd 3-0 Thu 12th Mar 2026 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation?
It is the opening with ECO code A45, reached after 1.d4 Nf6 2.Nc3 d5. It belongs to the Queen's Pawn Game family.
Is the Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation good for White or for Black?
In 418 master games on this line White wins 45%, 20% are drawn and Black wins 35%. 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: Chigorin Variation?
3.Bf4 — played in 329 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation?
On the White side Erigaisi,Arjun (50), Bortnyk,Olexandr (49), Firouzja,Alireza (26); on the Black side Caruana,F (27), Keymer,Vincent (23), Grischuk,A (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
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