Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5 · ECO D35–D36 · 12 named lines
How do you reach the Exchange Variation?
The Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation arises after 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.cxd5. Along the way the game passes through Queen's Pawn Game → Indian Defense → Indian Defense: Normal Variation → Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense → Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, which is why you will see those names on the way into it. Transpositions reaching the same position by a different move order are counted as the same opening on this page.
What do club players choose at the decision point?
One move earlier, 9,716 club games reached the position where the Exchange Variation is chosen. This is what players rated 1200–2200 actually played:
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf3 | 31% | 3,033 | |
| Bg5 | 28% | 2,699 | |
| cxd5 | 17% | 1,676 | |
| e3 | 9% | 901 |
The main line, move by move
- 1. d4 — the position is now the Queen's Pawn Game
- 1... Nf6 — the position is now the Indian Defense
- 2. c4 — the position is now the Indian Defense: Normal Variation
- 2... e6
- 3. Nc3
- 3... d5 — the position is now the Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense
- 4. cxd5 — the position is now the Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation
Data updated 9 August 2026. Game sample: Lichess July 2026, rating band 1200–2200. Opening names and lines: lichess-org/chess-openings (CC0).