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Queen's Gambit

1.d4 d5 2.c4

A popular opening where White offers a pawn to control the center.

Fun fact: The Queen's Gambit is mentioned in the Göttingen manuscript of 1490, which makes it one of the oldest known chess openings. Source

Practice this opening

The idea

After 1.d4 d5, White plays 2.c4 and offers the c-pawn. The point is not the pawn itself but Black's d5 pawn: if it takes on c4, it gives up its place in the center, and White can follow with e4 and a broad pawn center.

It isn't a true gambit. Black can't keep the extra pawn without getting into trouble, so White normally wins it back within a few moves.

Black's main choices are to accept with 2...dxc4, the Queen's Gambit Accepted, or to hold d5 with 2...e6, the Queen's Gambit Declined. (2...c6, the Slav Defense, is the other big option, but it isn't in this course.)

Plans for White

Develop with Nc3, Nf3 and often Bg5, and keep pressing on d5. If Black takes on c4, don't rush to win the pawn back: play e3 or e4, develop, and collect it with the bishop when it's convenient.

If Black holds d5, White usually keeps the tension in the center and looks for play on the queenside, where the c-pawn gives White more space.

Plans for Black

Black's main problem in the Queen's Gambit is the queen's bishop on c8. In the Declined it is shut in behind the e6 pawn, and much of Black's play is about freeing it, often with ...c5 or ...e5 later on.

If you accept the pawn, use the time White spends regaining it to develop and to strike at White's center with ...c5. Don't try to hold on to the pawn.

Watch out for

For Black, trying to keep the c4 pawn. After 2...dxc4 3.e3 b5? 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5??, the long diagonal is open, and 6.Qf3 attacks the rook on a8. Blocking with 6...Nc6 loses the knight to 7.Qxc6+. Alessandro Salvio pointed this out in 1604.

For White, the Elephant Trap. After 2...e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5, the knight on f6 looks pinned, so 6.Nxd5?? seems to win a pawn. But 6...Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ forces 8.Qd2 Bxd2+ 9.Kxd2 Kxd8, and Black has won a piece for a pawn.

Salvio's trap

2...dxc4 3.e3 b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Qf3 Nc6 7.Qxc6+

The Elephant Trap

2...e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nxd5 Nxd5 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ 8.Qd2 Bxd2+ 9.Kxd2 Kxd8

History

In the 18th century Philipp Stamma of Aleppo recommended the opening, which is why it is sometimes called the Aleppo Gambit. It became common in master play after the Vienna tournament of 1873, and it was the opening of all but two games of the 1927 world championship match between José Raúl Capablanca and Alexander Alekhine.

It also gave its name to the 2020 Netflix miniseries The Queen's Gambit.

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