Openings Guide / 1.d4 — Closed and Semi-Closed Games
1.d4 d5 2.c4
The Queen's Gambit is one of the oldest and most respected chess openings. White offers a pawn on c4 to gain central control — but it is not a true gambit, as White can always regain the pawn while maintaining a positional advantage. The Netflix series 'The Queen's Gambit' (2020) caused a worldwide surge in chess popularity.
The Queen's Gambit leads to classical, strategically rich games. The main responses are: Queen's Gambit Declined (2...e6), Queen's Gambit Accepted (2...dxc4), and the Slav Defense (2...c6). White aims for a space advantage and long-term pressure.
| Variation | Moves |
|---|---|
| Queen's Gambit Declined | 2...e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 |
| Queen's Gambit Accepted | 2...dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 |
| Slav Defense | 2...c6 3.Nf3 Nf6 |
| Chigorin Defense | 2...Nc6 |
| Albin Counter-Gambit | 2...e5 |