Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5
What Is The Classical Defense?
Do not misread 2...dxc4: Black is not trying to keep the pawn. Black gives it back so that ...c5 strikes d4 before White finishes developing. The trade is simple: White gets the freer game, Black gets a clean structure with no bad bishop and instant counterplay against d4.
After ...cxd4 and exd4, White plays the isolated queen's pawn position: castle, Qe2 and Rd1, a knight on e5, open lines pointing at Black's king. Black develops with ...a6, ...b5 and ...Bb7, then trades pieces. Almost every exchange tilts the game toward Black, because in the endgame d4 stops being a spearhead and becomes the only weakness on the board. As White, keep the queens on and attack; as Black, simplify on sight.
How Do You Play Against The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Classical Defense?
82% simply castle, on a small sample. Black has played ...c5 to hit your centre before you have finished developing, which is the principled way to handle the extra space you took after recovering the pawn.
Castle and finish developing before resolving the tension, because every pawn trade in the centre helps whoever has more pieces out. The isolated queen pawn positions that follow are comfortable for White as long as the pieces come first. Nc3, Qe2 and Rd1 all do useful work here. Rushing dxc5 usually just activates Black's dark-squared bishop and hands over the initiative you had.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bb4+ | 22% | 80 | |
| Be7 | 21% | 77 | |
| c5 | 16% | 57 | |
| a6 | 13% | 46 |
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| O-O | 82% | 54 | |
| Nc3 | 11% | 7 | |
| Qc2 | 2% | 1 | |
| Ne5 | 2% | 1 |
The Named Lines Of The Classical Defense
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Normal Line | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O |
| Main Line | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.Nc3 |
| Steinitz Variation, Development Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O Nc6 |
| Steinitz Variation, Exchange Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O cxd4 |
| Rubinstein Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 e6 4.e3 Nf6 5.Bxc4 Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3 a6 8.a4 c5 |
| Russian Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.O-O a6 7.e4 |
| Alekhine System | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.Qe2 b5 |
| Alekhine System, Main Line | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 9.Nc3 |
| Alekhine System, Smyslov Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Nc3 Bd6 |