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Queen's Gambit Declined (Tartakower)

Black keeps the d5 pawn firmly with ...e6 and develops calmly. ...b6 and ...Bb7 solve the problem of the light-squared bishop.

Intermediate · Queen's pawn openings · 16 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

Queen's Gambit Declined (Tartakower) (D58). You play Black. Black keeps the d5 pawn firmly with ...e6 and develops calmly. ...b6 and ...Bb7 solve the problem of the light-squared bishop.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the bishop on c8. It opens a line for the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 25% of 1.4 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.c4

White plays pawn to c4. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It offers a pawn (a gambit) to win time or the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 71% of 357k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 38% of 241k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 60% of 105k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 40% of 67k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Bg5

White plays bishop to g5. It develops the bishop into the game. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 26% of 48k games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Be7

Black plays bishop to e7. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 64% of 11k games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.e3

White plays pawn to e3. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 71% of 8016 games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 53% of 5001 games.

Step 12

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 72% of 3003 games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...h6

Black plays pawn to h6. It attacks the bishop on g5. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 47% of 9534 games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Bh4

White plays bishop to h4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 75% of 4703 games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...b6

Black plays pawn to b6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 68% of 8731 games.

Step 16

♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the Queen's Gambit Declined (Tartakower). Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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