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Queen's Gambit Accepted report from your own games

Queen's Gambit Accepted report from your own games

Take the pawn and fight back. See if your active play compensates.

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Queen's Gambit Accepted Report

36 GAMESSample Data
Win Rate
53%

Performance vs Other Openings

Queen's Gambit Accepted53% Win
Other Openings47% Win

Key Insights

Pawn Handling
black
High Impact

Attempts to Hold the Extra c4 Pawn Backfire 70% of the Time

What this means
In 14 of 36 QGA games, you tried to hold the extra pawn on c4 with ...b5. This leads to a weakened queenside in 10 of those games: White targets the b5 pawn with a4, and your pawn structure collapses. Your win rate when holding the pawn is only 21%, compared to 67% when you return it for development and activity.
How to improve
In the QGA, do not try to hold the c4 pawn permanently — this is a common amateur mistake. Instead, use the pawn as a tempo-gainer: after ...dxc4, develop with ...Nf6, ...e6, ...Be7, and let White recapture on c4. If you play ...b5 to hold the pawn, be aware that a4 will come and you need ...c6 and ...Bb7 to justify the structure. The modern approach is to play ...a6 and ...b5 only after full development, using the queenside expansion for counterplay rather than pawn-hoarding.
#extra-pawn#pawn-holding#development-priority
Queenside Counterplay
black

The ...a6/...b5 Expansion Creates Strong Counterplay When Timed Right

What this means
In 22 of 36 games, you play ...a6 and ...b5 as part of your QGA setup. When timed correctly (after ...Nf6, ...e6, and ...Be7 or ...Bb4+), this expansion gives you a strong queenside initiative — your win rate is 68% in these cases. However, in 7 games you play ...a6/...b5 too early (before developing), and your win rate drops to 29% as White exploits the tempo loss.
How to improve
The ...a6/...b5 plan is excellent but requires proper timing. The correct sequence: (1) Develop knights first — ...Nf6 is almost always move 2, (2) Play ...e6 to open the diagonal for your dark-squared bishop, (3) Develop the bishop — ...Be7 or ...Bb4+ depending on White's setup, (4) Only then play ...a6 and ...b5 to expand. After ...b5, your bishop goes to b7, targeting the center. This plan works especially well in the Classical Main Line where White plays e3, as the b7 bishop attacks e4 directly.
#a6-b5#queenside-expansion#development-order
Center Strategy
black
High Impact

Central Control Is Ceded Too Easily After ...dxc4

What this means
After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4, you surrender the d5 square and White often establishes a strong e4-d4 center by move 8 in 20 of 36 games. You fail to challenge this center with ...c5 or ...e5 in 13 of those games, and White's space advantage becomes overwhelming. Your win rate when you challenge the center by move 10 is 61%, but only 30% when you allow White to keep e4 and d4 unchallenged.
How to improve
After taking on c4, you must fight for the center with your pieces and pawn breaks. The key move is ...c5, challenging d4 directly — this should be your primary strategic goal in most QGA lines. Alternatively, ...e5 can work after proper preparation. Support your central fight with ...Nc6, ...Bb4+, or ...Bb7 to put pressure on e4 and d4. Never allow White a free e4 + d4 center — the QGA is about giving up the d5 pawn temporarily to generate counterplay, not about passively accepting a space disadvantage.
#central-control#c5-break#pawn-center

Top Variations

1
Classical Main Line
16 games
2
Janowski-Larsen
11 games
3
Smyslov Variation
9 games

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What we analyze in your Queen's Gambit Accepted games

Your development speed after accepting

Your central control (especially e4)

Your ability to return the pawn at the right time

Your handling of isolated queen's pawn positions

Your piece activity vs material balance

Learn This Opening

Play through the main line move by move

1.pawn to d4 (d4) pawn to d5 (d5)

Both sides stake their claim in the centrum. vit opens with the dam's bonde, aiming for central control, while svart immediately challenges with ...d5, the most direct response to the dam's bonde öppning.

Play pawn to d4 (d4)
Drag a piece or tap to move
1.d4d52.c4dxc43.Nf3Nf64.e3e65.Bxc4c56.O-Oa67.Qe2b58.Bb3Bb7

Key Positions to Know

Critical concepts every Queen's Gambit Accepted player should understand

Accepting the Gambit

With 2...dxc4, Black grabs the c4 pawn, conceding the center temporarily. Black doesn't try to hold the pawn — instead, the idea is to develop freely while White spends time recapturing. Black gains a flexible position with multiple pawn break options.

The ...c5 Central Break

Black's key strategic move is ...c5, challenging White's d4 pawn and creating counter-tension in the center. After ...a6 and ...b5, Black can develop the bishop to b7 and fight for the long diagonal while maintaining active piece play.

Dynamic Piece Activity

The QGA leads to open, dynamic positions where pieces are more important than pawn structure. Both sides develop quickly, and tactical opportunities arise naturally. Black's position is solid and flexible, making the QGA a reliable practical choice at all levels.

Strategic Plans

♔
White's Plans

  • •Recapture the c4 bonde with Bxc4, developing the löpare actively
  • •Castle kungsflygel quickly to secure the kung
  • •Control the centrum with pawns on d4 and e3
  • •Develop pieces harmoniously with Nc3, Re1, and Bd2 or Bg5
  • •Prevent svart's freeing moves like ...c5 or make svart pay for them
  • •Create pressure on the long diagonal with Bb3 after ...b5
  • •Look for tactical opportunities based on svart's exposed damflygel pawns
  • •In the slutspel, use the better bonde structure to create passed pawns

♚
Black's Plans

  • •Develop actively with ...Nf6, ...e6, and aim to castle kungsflygel
  • •Challenge vit's centrum immediately with ...c5, the key thematic break
  • •Gain damflygel space with ...a6 and ...b5, pushing back vit's pieces
  • •Develop the light-squared löpare to b7 after ...b5
  • •Complete utveckling with ...Nbd7 or ...Nc6, ...Be7, and ...O-O
  • •Create counterplay on the damflygel with ...Qb6 or ...Rc8
  • •Exchange pieces when vit has more space to relieve the position
  • •Look for tactical opportunities involving the advanced damflygel pawns

Key Variations

Explore the most important branches and transpositions in the Queen's Gambit Accepted.

Classical Main Line

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6

The main line of the QGA. svart develops solidly with ...Nf6, ...e6, and then strikes at the centrum with ...c5. After ...a6 and ...b5, svart gains damflygel space and creates dynamic play. vit maintains a slight edge with better central control, but svart has active pieces and counterplay. This is the most theoretically important line.

Alekhine Variation

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 a6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.h3

Named after World Champion Alexander Alekhine, this variant features an early ...a6 to prepare ...b5 without allowing Na4. svart develops the löpare to g4, pinning the springare and creating immediate pressure. After 6.h3, vit must decide how to handle the bindning. The resulting positions are sharp and tactical.

Mannheim Variation

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4+ c6 5.Qxc4

An aggressive try where vit uses the dam schack on a4 to quickly recapture the c4 bonde. svart typically responds ...c6, and after vit recaptures with the dam, svart can develop with ...Bf5 or ...e6. The early dam move can become a target for svart's minor pieces, but vit gains time and central control.

Bogoljubow Defense

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.e4

An ambitious system where vit plays e4 early, establishing a strong bonde centrum. This line, classified under the Bogoljubow försvar in ECO theory, leads to sharp tactical play. svart must react precisely with ...b5 and ...Bb7 to justify taking the bonde. The resulting positions are unbalanced with chances for both sides.

Furman Variation

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O Nc6

svart develops the springare to c6 instead of the more common ...a6. This system, favored by Soviet GM Semyon Furman (Karpov's trainer), aims for rapid utveckling and central pressure. After ...Be7 and ...O-O, svart has a solid position. vit typically continues with Nc3 and maintains slight pressure.

Opening Statistics

Original research from 4,436 real amateur games — data you won't find anywhere else.

Avg. Game Length
64.8moves1.6
Underdog Wins
41.3%2.0%
Quick Finishes
5.9% avg
Endgame Reach
77.1%1.2%
White's Edge
+8.4%4.7%
Favors BlackEqualFavors White

At 1200-1400

📊Games last 65 moves on average — right around average for this bracket.

📊The lower-rated player wins 41.3% of games — about average for this bracket.

📊5.9% of games end before move 20 — most games get into the middlegame.

📊77.1% of games reach the endgame (40+ moves) — about typical for this bracket.

📊White's edge is +8.4% — White has a clear advantage at this level.

How This Opening Changes as You Improve

RatingGamesWhite's EdgeAvg. Game LengthUnderdog WinsQuick FinishesEndgame Reach
800-1000787
+14.4%56 /3 /41
60+137.9%9.7%69.1%
1000-1200985
+14.1%55 /3 /41
6438.7%6.0%74.1%
1200-1400995
+8.4%53 /3 /44
65-241.3%5.9%77.1%
1400-1600949
+15.7%56 /4 /40
72+339.0%4.0%81.5%
1600-1800720
+15.4%56 /3 /41
70-240.3%3.8%82.8%

Based on 4,436 games · Updated

Why Play the Queen's Gambit Accepted?

Sound and Principled försvar

The QGA is a classical försvar that's been played at the highest levels for over a century. By accepting the gambit, svart takes material and challenges vit to prove compensation, a perfectly legitimate approach that teaches fundamental chess principles about material vs. utveckling.

Active Piece Play

Unlike the dam's gambit Declined where svart often has a cramped position, the QGA offers svart active piece utveckling and freedom. The light-squared löpare develops naturally outside the bonde chain, and svart gets counterplay with ...c5 and ...b5.

Clear Strategic Plans

Both sides have straightforward, understandable plans. vit recaptures the bonde and establishes central control, while svart develops actively, challenges the centrum with ...c5, and creates damflygel play with ...a6 and ...b5. The clarity makes it excellent for learning.

Reliable at All Levels

The QGA has been successfully employed from club level to World Championship matches. It's solid enough to avoid early disasters while offering sufficient complexity and winning chances. Many strong players use it as a practical weapon when they need a sound position.

Common Traps

Watch out for these dangerous tactical pitfalls

The b5 Pawn Trap

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 c4?? 9.Bc2 Bb7 10.d5!

svart's greedy 8...c4?, trying to fälla the löpare, backfires spectacularly. After 9.Bc2, the löpare is safe, and 10.d5! blows open the centrum. If 10...exd5 11.e4!, vit's pieces pour into the breach with a devastating anfall. svart's damflygel pawns are overextended and the kung is stuck in the centrum. svart should play 8...Bb7 instead, developing naturally.

Alekhine Trap

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.Nbd2? Nbd7! 7.h3 Bh5 8.O-O Bd6

vit develops too slowly with Nbd2 instead of O-O. After ...Nbd7 and ...Bd6, svart has excellent piece coordination and vit's h3 has weakened the kungsflygel. If vit tries to win the löpare pair with g4, svart gets a strong anfall with ...Bxg4. vit should castle first on move 6.

Premature e4 Trap

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e4? Nxe4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.Qe2 Qe7

vit's premature 4.e4 trying to establish a strong centrum loses a bonde. After ...Nxe4, svart has captured a bonde and vit lacks compensation. If 5.Nc3 Nxc3 6.bxc3, svart is simply up a bonde with a good position. vit must play 4.e3, not 4.e4, to maintain the balance.

Discovered Attack Trap

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.a4 Nc6 8.Qe2 Be7 9.Rd1 cxd4?? 10.exd4 O-O? 11.d5

svart captures on d4 prematurely and then castles, walking into a discovered anfall. After 11.d5, the löpare on e7 and springare on c6 are both attacked via the discovered anfall along the d-linje. svart loses material. The correct move order is 9...O-O first, then consider ...cxd4.

Beginner Tips

💡

Accept the gambit confidently - taking the bonde is perfectly sound and doesn't require complex försvar

💡

Always aim for the ...c5 break to challenge vit's centrum - this is your main source of counterplay

💡

Develop your pieces quickly after taking on c4 - don't try to hold the extra bonde at all costs

💡

Play ...a6 and ...b5 to gain damflygel space and push vit's löpare away from the active c4 fält

💡

Develop your light-squared löpare outside the bonde chain (usually to b7 after ...b5) - this is easier than in the QGD

💡

Castle kungsflygel early to get your kung to safety before starting any aggressive operations

💡

Don't fear vit's slight central fördel - svart has active pieces and clear counterplay

💡

Study the typical bonde structures that arise after ...c5 and dxc5 - understanding these positions is key

Common Queen's Gambit Accepted patterns we detect

We automatically check if you fall for these specific traps.

About the Queen's Gambit Accepted

The Queen's Gambit Accepted (1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4) is an active defense where Black accepts the gambit pawn and aims for quick development and central control.

We analyze your development efficiency, central control, and piece activity. We identify where greed for material leads to problems.

openings.page.sections.keyThemes

Accepting the gambit pawnActive piece developmentCentral control battlesQueen and bishop activityFlexible pawn structureTactical alertness required

openings.page.sections.notablePlayers

Alexander AlekhineVasily SmyslovBent LarsenMichael Adams

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about Queen's Gambit Accepted analysis

The Queen's Gambit Accepted arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4, where Black takes the offered c-pawn rather than declining it. Unlike the Queen's Gambit Declined, Black accepts the material and then tries to hold it or use the tempo to develop actively. White's compensation is a strong center — after 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4, White has the bishop pair and central control. Black typically cannot hold the c4 pawn long-term without compromising development.
After 2...dxc4, Black cannot realistically hold the extra pawn — White will regain it with Bxc4. Instead, Black's plan is to use the pawn capture to free the queenside and develop actively. The typical follow-up is 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5, immediately striking White's d4 center. Black aims for equality through active piece play: ...Nc6 or ...a6-b5 to probe the c4 bishop, and eventual ...Bd6 or ...Be7 with O-O. The QGA leads to open, dynamic positions rather than the solid structures of the QGD.
After 2...dxc4 3.Nf3, the move 3...a6 prepares ...b5 to hold the c4 pawn with queenside expansion. After 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 b5 6.Bd3, Black has actually held the extra pawn temporarily but at the cost of queenside pawn advances that weaken the a6 and b5 squares. This approach creates the most unbalanced QGA positions — White focuses on central play while Black has queenside tension. Alexander Alekhine and Vasily Smyslov used this approach to good effect in World Championship-level play.
After 2...dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6, if Black plays 7...b5?? without ensuring the bishop is safe after 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.a4!, White attacks the b5 pawn. If Black plays 9...b4??, White pounces with 10.Nbd2 and the b4-pawn is weak with all pieces active. Black must play 9...bxa4 10.Rxa4, giving up the plan of holding b5 while White gains a rook on the a-file. The lesson: in the QGA, timing the ...b5 and ...b4 advances requires precise coordination with piece development.

Famous Games

EuwevsAlekhine
World Championship 1935 (Game 26)0-1

World Champion Alekhine demonstrated his deep understanding of the dam's gambit Accepted in this crucial World Championship game. His strategic maneuvering and exploitation of vit's weaknesses showcased why the QGA is a legitimate försvar at the highest level. This game helped establish the öppning's reputation.

SmyslovvsReshevsky
Candidates Tournament 19531-0

Former World Champion Vasily Smyslov, one of the greatest QGA experts, demonstrated perfect technique in this game. His smooth utveckling and central control showed how vit can maintain a pleasant edge. The positional squeeze in the slutspel is studied as a model of converting small advantages.

KasparovvsPortisch
Thessaloniki Olympiad 19881-0

Garry Kasparov's brilliant handling of the vit side of the QGA demonstrated modern ideas in the öppning. His dynamic piece play and tactical awareness led to a crushing anfall. This game showed that even against solid defenses like the QGA, creative attackers can generate winning chances.

KramnikvsAdams
Dortmund 19991/2-1/2

Michael Adams, a QGA specialist, held a remi against World Championship contender Vladimir Kramnik despite being under pressure throughout. This game demonstrated the defensive resources available to svart in the QGA and why it remains a popular choice for players seeking solid, reliable positions.

Learning Resources

video

dam's gambit Accepted Explained - GothamChess

course

The dam's gambit Accepted by GM Simon Williams

book

Play the dam's gambit Accepted by GM Drazen Marovic

book

dam's gambit Accepted by GM Peter Wells

course

dam's gambit Accepted öppning Guide - Chess.com

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