1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4
The Queen’s Gambit Accepted arises after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4: Black takes the offered c-pawn instead of holding the center with 2... e6, the Queen’s Gambit Declined. It is not a true gambit: Black cannot keep the extra pawn against accurate play, and White regains it while building a strong center. This course teaches the White side with the most ambitious reply, 3. e4, the Central Variation: White plants pawns on d4 and e4 immediately and dares Black to prove the early capture was worth it.
The defining position comes from 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4. White offered the c4-pawn to deflect Black’s d-pawn away from the center, and Black took it. White’s third move sets the character of the game: 3. Nf3 and 3. e3 are the quieter recapture routes, while this repertoire plays 3. e4, grabbing the full center at once. From there Black’s main tries are 3... e5, striking back in the center before White consolidates, 3... e6, returning to solid development, and the greedy 3... b5, trying to keep the extra pawn, which fails to 4. a4. White follows up with Bxc4, fast development, and direct play against f7 and the queenside.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 Nc6 6. O-O Be6 7. Nbd2 Bxc4 8. Nxc4
Black’s most principled answer: strike the center with 3... e5 before White consolidates. After 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 White is temporarily a pawn down but far ahead in development, with the bishop trained on f7. Black’s safest path is 6... Be6, trading off the dangerous bishop; White recaptures with the knight, rounds up the d4-pawn at leisure, and keeps the more comfortable game thanks to better-placed pieces.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 exd4 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Ne5+ Ke8 8. Qxg4
Pinning the knight with 4... Bg4 looks natural but walks into a classic combination. If Black grabs the d4-pawn, 6. Bxf7+ rips the king out: after 6... Kxf7 7. Ne5+ the knight forks king and the g4-bishop, and 8. Qxg4 leaves Black’s king stranded in the middle: material is level, but White’s attack is worth far more, and the loose d4-pawn soon falls too. Black has to meet the pin more carefully, and even then White meets ...Bxf3 with Qxf3 and keeps a pleasant edge.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 Nc6 6. O-O Bg4 7. Qb3 Qd7 8. Bxf7+ Qxf7 9. Qxb7 Rd8 10. Qxc6+
When Black develops naturally with ...Nc6 and ...Bg4, 7. Qb3 hits b7 and stacks up against f7 behind the bishop. The natural defense 7... Qd7 fails tactically: 8. Bxf7+ deflects the queen, 9. Qxb7 forks rook and knight, and 10. Qxc6+ leaves White a clean pawn up with Black’s king stuck in the center. Black’s only good answers give up material or the bishop pair, so the whole ...Bg4 plan is under a cloud here.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Nc3 a6 7. Nxb5 axb5 8. Rxa8 Bb7 9. Ra2
The move every QGA player must refute: Black tries to hold c4 with ...b5. 4. a4 attacks the chain at its base, and after 4... c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Nc3 the b5-pawn cannot be defended: 6... a6 loses an exchange to 7. Nxb5 axb5 8. Rxa8, since the a-file pin means Black never gets the rook back for fair value. Black ends up down material with a wrecked queenside in every branch.
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e6 4. Bxc4 Nf6 5. Nc3 Be7 6. e5 Nd5 7. Qg4
Black returns the pawn and develops solidly, steering toward French-like structures. White takes the space on offer: 6. e5 kicks the knight, and 7. Qg4 immediately targets g7. Castling into it is a mistake: 7... O-O runs into 8. Bh6, winning the exchange on f8 after ...g6. Black does better with 5... Bb4, when White keeps an edge with the broad center and easy development.
If you play the Queen’s Gambit Accepted as Black and meet 3. e4, the first rule is to forget the extra pawn. Every attempt to keep it with ...b5 loses material to 4. a4: the queenside collapses by force, and no amount of creativity fixes it. Take the pawn as a deflection, not a possession. The principled response is 3... e5, hitting d4 before White finishes developing: after 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4, develop fast and aim ...Be6 at White’s dangerous light-squared bishop; trading it defuses most of the f7 tricks. Be very careful with ...Bg4: the pin invites Bxf7+ combinations and Qb3 double attacks that win material outright, so only play it when you know the exact follow-up. Theory also rates 3... Nf6, hitting e4 and meeting 4. e5 with ...Nd5, as a fully sound alternative that sidesteps the sharpest tactics. The quieter 3... e6 is playable but concedes White the big center for free; if you choose it, prefer an active ...Bb4 over slow setups, and never castle into Qg4–Bh6 ideas. Whatever you pick, the theme is the same: White’s center is strong but stretched, and Black equalizes by attacking it immediately with pieces and pawn breaks, not by clinging to c4.
Grab the full center with 3. e4, regain the c4-pawn with Bxc4, and convert the lead in development into threats before Black untangles. The bishop on c4 and ideas like Qb3 keep constant pressure on f7 and b7; against ...b5 the standard a4 break wins material. Castle quickly, keep pieces active, and use the space advantage; most Black errors lose material to direct tactics rather than slow squeezes.
Counterattack the center immediately: 3... e5 is the critical test, and ...Nc6 with ...Be6 neutralizes White’s strongest piece. Return the c4-pawn without regret: development and central pressure are worth more. Avoid pawn-hunting with ...b5 and careless pins with ...Bg4, both of which lose to known tactics. Accurate play gives Black full equality; the danger is only in trying to keep the gift.
The Queen’s Gambit is one of the oldest recorded chess openings, analyzed in manuscripts from the late fifteenth century, and accepting it is the oldest way of meeting it. For most of chess history the QGA carried a slightly suspect reputation (surrendering the center looked like a concession), but classical and modern practice rehabilitated it completely, and it remains a regular guest at every level up to world championship play. The 3. e4 Central Variation is the most ambitious reply White has: instead of quietly regaining the pawn, White builds the full pawn center and accepts a sharp fight. Modern engines confirm both sides of the argument: the QGA is fundamentally sound, and 3. e4 is the line that asks it the hardest questions, which is why it has become a popular practical weapon for players who want open, tactical positions out of a queen’s pawn opening.
OK Beth, let's learn the Queen's Gambit (accepted). We start with, of course, the queen's pawn to d4.
Here we can initiate the Queen's Gambit with pawn to c4. Black has to make a tough choice here - either take our free pawn (which isn't actually free!), or try to hold onto the center.
Black has taken our pawn, which means we are now in the Queen's Gambit Accepted line. This is actually good for us, because we have a very nice move: pawn to e4. We get the entire center, and open up our bishop to take Black's pawn back on the next move.
That's... cute. Black is trying to save their pawn but we are about to crush any hope they have. We attack the defender with pawn to a4.
Our best bet is to capture here with pawn takes b5, opening up our rook.
Now we have a very nice and provocative move: knight to c3. This attacks Black's pawn on b5 and it is nothing but trouble for them.
Now for a murderous and paralyzing move: pawn to d5. This stops Black's knight from developing and ever coming into the game, and the bishop is stuck too.
Black is fighting back in the center. The best move here is to be proactive and take their pawn first with pawn takes e6.
Black took with their pawn, which means we have a beautiful sacrifice: knight takes b5.
OK you may be wondering why we just lost our knight for no reason? Well now we have the gorgeous move queen to h5 check. This forks the king and the bishop on b5.
And now we complete our journey around the board with queen to b5, which is yet another check!
This is just complete brutality. No hope at all for them in this position.
They tried to defend the defender, but this does not work! After we capture with pawn to b5, Black cannot capture back or they lose their rook!
Aaaaand game over. Rook takes rook on a8.
Thank you, next!
This is a dangerous move from black. We need to play our cards right or we'll lose the game. Step 1: Do not capture. Instead, the simple knight to f3 defending our center.
Let's leave the middle pawn, it's more important we take the one on the left with bishop takes c4.
We have a very nice way to get a good position here: knight in to e5. Very fun move attacking the weak f7 pawn.
They defended our attack. Let's capture with bishop e6.
Now we have the killer queen to h5, checking the king
That won't stop us. Let's play knight to g6.
Thanks for the free rook! Queen takes h8.
Well done! Believe it or not, thousands of games end up exactly like this.
Black forgot they have a hanging pawn. Now we have bishop to c4.
A blunder from black! Now we have the very nice bishop takes on f7.
Now the follow up knight e5 check, forking the king and bishop
Let's take the bishop with our queen to get her in the game. Queen to g4.
Beautiful! Black is behind in development and can't castle.
Black has given up their pawn, which means we can take it back with bishop to c4.
Let's play knight to c3 here, continuing our development and defending our e4 pawn from attack.
Black is trying to be safe and develop. We are not going to let them. Pawn to e5.
Now that Black's king side is vulnerable, we have the fun Queen move to g4 attacking their pawn.
Black castled and now we win with bishop to h6.
This one is simple - bishop takes rook on f8.
Well done! We are up an exchange here and are crushing it. Once we finish developing and castle, the game will be ours.
Not really. After 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4, Black cannot keep the extra pawn against accurate play; attempts like ...b5 lose material to a4. White always regains the pawn, usually with a strong center or a lead in development, so the "gambit" is a temporary investment, not a sacrifice.
Yes. It is a fully sound, classical defense played at every level. Black gives up the center temporarily but gets free piece play and clear plans. The catch is that sharp lines like 3. e4 demand accuracy: Black must counterattack the center immediately rather than try to hold the c4-pawn.
No. After 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 b5, White plays 4. a4 and Black’s queenside collapses: every defense of the b5-pawn loses material by force, often a whole rook on a8. Taking on c4 is a deflection, not a pawn grab.
The most ambitious is 3. e4, the Central Variation: White builds a full pawn center, develops the bishop to c4 with pressure on f7, and punishes natural-looking moves like ...Bg4 with direct tactics. Quieter options such as 3. Nf3 and 3. e3 regain the pawn with less risk but ask Black fewer questions.
In the Accepted (2... dxc4) Black takes the pawn and gives up the center, planning to counterattack it with pieces and pawn breaks. In the Declined (2... e6) Black keeps the d5 strongpoint and a solid structure at the cost of a temporarily blocked light-squared bishop. The QGA leads to more open, tactical play; the QGD to slower positional battles.
Reading about an opening is step one. The trainer at the top of this page drills all 16 lines against the moves real opponents play. The first lines are free.
Train the Queen’s Gambit Accepted now