A Basic Guide to Queen Pawn Openings (1.

d4)

1.d4

Queen pawn openings are generally closed or semi-closed games (i.e., games characterized by fewer
open lines) that have more positional play where the players try to slowly “strangle” each other.
Currently, Black has increasingly moved away from symmetrical openings (1.d4 d5), tending to use the
Indian defenses (1.d4 Nf6).

Why White Played 1.d4:

1. The pawn on d4 controls central square e5
2. The move frees the Bishop on c1 gives the Queen more scope.

White’s Basic Goals:

1. Control the Center.
2. Play e4 when possible
3. Quick and effective development of the pieces.
4. Castle (usually king side)
5. Attack enemy King (usually king side)

Black has 2 general responses to 1.d4, and Black’s first move indicates his general plan of how he plans
on handling White’s basic goals.

Black First Move Black’s General Plan

Classical Strategy: Maintain a pawn at d5 for central control

1. …d5
Hypermodern Strategy: Control and attack the center from the side.
1. …Nf6

* The shown percentages are from a database of approximately 1,200,000 master level games. The shown variations and continuations are the commonly
played moves from the database games. All variations are not shown.

www.freewebs.com/kensoffice/chess.htm
 Queen’s Gambit

1.d4 d5 2.c4

The Queen's Gambit is one of the oldest known chess openings, and can be dated back to the 1490
Göttingen manuscript. However, during the early period of modern chess, the opening was considered
too cautious and unenterprising. In the late nineteenth century, chess theory advanced in understanding
positional play and the Queen's Gambit grew more popular.

White’s Ideas / Goals Black’s Ideas / Goals

1. Play e4 if possible. 1. Play e5 if possible.

2. Castle (usually kingside)
3. Kingside Attack using his advantages of central
control, space, and/or piece mobility (see
Black’s Idea / Goals)
2. Castle (usually kingside).
3. Free the Bishop on c8.
Orthodox & Lasker Defense:
Exchange pieces to free game

Tartakower & Tarrasch Defense:

Accept pawn weakness for active play

Queen’s Gambit Accepted:

Give central control for development

www.freewebs.com/kensoffice/chess.htm
Queen’s Gambit Variations:
1.d4 d5 2.c41
1
Played 67% of the time. This move is also common in the main alternative: 2.Nf3 (28%) Nf6 (83%)
3.c4 (66%) which usually leads to Queen’s Gambit Declined.

A. Queen’s Gambit Declined, Slav Defense (42%)

2. … c6 (See Slav and Semi-Slav Defense)

B. Queen’s Gambit Declined, Main Line (40%)

2. … e6 3.Nc3

B1. Queen’s Gambit Declined, Main Line (55%)

3. …Nf6

B1-1. Queen’s Gambit Declined, Main Line (51%)

4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3

B1-1A Orthodox Defense (50%)

Considered a solid Defense for Black. Black gives White more central control but
forces White to lose time (Bd3 followed by Bxc4). Black generally plans to
exchange some pieces to free his cramped game and to play e5, freeing his game.
White will use his space advantage and kingside pawn majority to attack
6. … Nbd7 7.Rc1 c6 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 Nd51 10.Bxe7 Qxe7
11.O-O Nxc3 12.bxc3 e5
1
b6 10.O-O Bb7 11.Qe2 Nd5 12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.e4 Nxc3 14.bxc3 Qf6

B1-1B Queen’s Gambit Declined, Other Lines (31%)

6. …h6 7.Bh4

B1-1B(1) Tartakower Defense (71%)

Black plans to fianchetto his c8 Bishop to b7, and plays for active piece
play. In exchange Black normally gets a pawn weakness (hanging
pawns).
7. … b6 8.Bd3 Bb7 9.O-O Nbd7 10.Qe2 c5 11.Rfd1 Ne4
12.Bxe7 Qxe7 13.cxd5 exd5

B1-1B(2) Lasker Defense (17%)

Black plans to free his cramped position by exchanging pieces.
7. … Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Rc1 Nxc3 10.Rxc3 c6 11.Bd3 dxc4
12.Bxc4 Nd7 13.O-O e5 14.Bb3 e4 15.Nd2 Nf6

B1-2. Semi-Slav Defense (33%)

4.Nf3 c6 (See Slav and Semi-Slav Defense)

www.freewebs.com/kensoffice/chess.htm
 B2. Tarrasch Defense (9%)
Black’s move c5 strikes at the center. Black plays for active piece play at the cost of a pawn
weakness. Often, Black will be left with an isolated pawn that will need to be guarded by pieces.
The isolated pawn, however, does give Black some central control.
3. …c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be71 8.O-O O-O 9.Bg52 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6
1
cxd4 8.Nxd4 Qb6 9.Nxc6 bxc6 10.O-O Be7
2
dxc5 Bxc5 10.Bg5 d4 11.Bxf6 Qxf6

C. Queen’s Gambit Accepted (13%)

With 2.dxc4, Black gives White the center but plays for free development of his pieces, especially the c8
Bishop. Black will attack White’s center pawns and play to give White an isolated pawn. White uses
the center and active pieces (and more space) to start an attack.
2. … dxc4 3.Nf31 Nf6 4.e32 e63 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.Qe24 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Nc3 Qc7
1
Qa4+ Nc6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Qxc4 wins back the pawn, but not advised.
2
Nc3 c6 5.a4 Bf5 6.e3 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.O-O O-O 9.Qb3 Qe7 10.Nh4 Bg4 11.f3 Bh5 12.g4 Bg6
3
b5 5.a4 c6 6.axb5 cxb5 7.b3 e6 8.bxc4 bxc4 9.Bxc4
4
a4 Nc6 8.Nc3 Be7 9.Qc2 Qc75 10.Rd1 O-O
5
cxd4 10.Rd1 e5 11.exd4 exd4 12.Nxd4 Nxd4 13.Qe5 Qd6 14.Qxd4 Qxd4 15.Rxd4

www.freewebs.com/kensoffice/chess.htm
 Slave and Semi-Slav Defense

Slave Defense Semi-Slave Defense

1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6

The Slave Defense is one of the main defenses to the Queen’s gambit. Unlike, the other defenses to the
Queen’s gambit, it addresses the main drawbacks: the trapped c8 Bishop, an unbalanced pawn structure,
and a potentially pinned Knight on f6. The opening is named after the many Slavic masters who helped
develop the opening theory. The Semi-Slav Defense is a mixture of the Orthodox Queen’s Gambit
Declined and the Slav Defense.

White’s Ideas / Goals Black’s Ideas / Goals

1. Play e4 if possible. 1. Play e5 if possible.

2. Castle (usually kingside) 2. Castle (usually kingside).
3. Kingside Attack using his advantages of central
control, space, and/or piece mobility (see Black’s
Idea / Goals) Slave Defense:
Avoids drawbacks of the Queen’s Gambit
Declined.

Semi-Slav Defense:
A mixture of the Orthodox Queen’s Gambit
Declined and the Slav Defense.

www.freewebs.com/kensoffice/chess.htm
Slav Defense Variations:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6

A. Slav Defense, Main Line (56%)

3. Nf3 Nf61
1
e6 leads to the Semi-Slav Defense

A1. Slav Defense, Main Line (66%)

4.Nc3

A1-1. Semi-Slav Defense (54%)

4. … e6 (see Semi-Slav Defense)

A1-2. Slave Defense, Accepted (28%)

Black gives White the center and hopes to make use of White’s time loss in development.
Both players want to play e5. Games are generally very tactical.
4. … dxc4 5.a4 Bf5 6.e31 e6 7.Bxc4 Bb4 8.O-O Nbd7 9.Qe2 O-O 10.e4 Bg6
1
Ne5 Nbd7 7.Nxc4 Qc7 8.g3 e5 9.dxe5 Nxe5 10.Bf4 Nfd7 11.Bg2 f6 12.O-O O-O-O

A2. Slav Defense, Declined (20%)

White will try to take advantage of the absence of Black's queen bishop on the queenside.
4.e3 Bf51 5.Nc3 e6 6.Nh4 Bg6 7.Nxg6 hxg6 8.Bd22 Nbd7 9.Qb3 Qb6 10.h3
1
e6 5.Nc3 (see Semi-Slav Defense)
2
g3 Nbd7 9.cxd5 exd5 10.Bg2 Qc7

A3. Slav Defense, Exchange (6%)

A symmetrical position that often leads to a draw. White’s only advantage is the extra move.
4.cxd5 cxd5 5.Nc3 Nc6 6.Bf4 Bf5 7.e3 e6 8.Bd3 Bxd3 9.Qxd3 Bd6 10.Bxd6 Qxd6 11.O-O O-O

B. Slav Defense, Other Lines (30%)

3.Nc3 Nf61
1
e6 leads to the Semi-Slav Defense

B1. Slave Defense, Main Line (74%)

4. Nf3 (see A1: Slave Defense, Main Line)

B2. Slave Defense, Declined (20%)

4.e3 (see A2: Slave Defense, Declined)

B3. Slav Defense, Exchange (3%)

4.cxd5 (see A3: Slave Defense, Exchange)

www.freewebs.com/kensoffice/chess.htm
Semi-Slav Defense Variations:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6

A. Semi-Slav, Meran (60%)

Black temporally gives White the center, but White must lose time recapturing the pawn. Games are
usually very tactical.
5.e3 Nbd7 6.Bd31 dxc4 7.Bxc4 b5 8.Bd3 a62 9.e4 c5 10.d53 c4 11.dxe6 fxe6 12.Bc2 b4
1
Qc2 Bd6 7.g4 dxc4 (on Nxg4 8.Rg1 f5 9.h3 Ngf6 10.Rxg7 Ne4) 8.Bxc4 e5 9.g5 Nd5
2
Bb7 9.e4 b4 10.Na4 c5 11.e5 Nd5 12.O-O cxd4 13.Re1
3
e5 cxd4 11.Ne4 Nd5 12.O-O Be7

B. Semi-Slav, Anti-Meran (29%)

White refuses to shut in the Bishop on c1, instead it will pin the Knight on f6.
5.Bg5

B1. Queen’s Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense (34%)

Black
5. …Nbd7 6.e3 Qa5 7.Nd2 Bb4 8.Qc2 O-O 9.Be2 e5 10.O-O exd4 11.Nb3 Qb6
12.exd4 dxc4 13.Bxc4

B2. Semi-Slav, Anti-Meran: Moscow Variation (30%)

White advantage will be his lead in development. Black’s advantage will be the Bishop pair.
5. …h6 6.Bxf6 Qxf6 7.e3 Nd7 8.Bd3 dxc4 9.Bxc4 g6 10.O-O Bg7

B3. Semi-Slav, Anti-Meran: Botvinnik Variation (22%)

In the end White will be a pawn up and have more central control. Black, however, will have a
lead in development.
5. …dxc4 6.e4 b5 7.e5 h6 8.Bh4 g5 9.Nxg5 hxg5 10.Bxg5 Nbd7 11.exf6 Bb7
12.g3 c5 13.d5 Qb6 14.Bg2 O-O-O 15.O-O b4

www.freewebs.com/kensoffice/chess.htm
Queen’s Gambit:
1.d4 d5 2.c4
Opening Moves Variation Name
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 Queen’s Gambit Accepted
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 Queen’s Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense
5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 Nbd7
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 Queen’s Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense
5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 b6
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 Queen’s Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense
5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 Ne4
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6 Queen’s Gambit Declined: Semi-Slav Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 Queen’s Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense

Slav Defense:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 c6
Opening Moves Variation Name
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 dxc4 Slave Defense: Accepted
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Slave Defense: Declined
3.Nf3 Nf6 4.cxd5 Slave Defense: Exchange

Semi-Slav Defense:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c6
Opening Moves Variation Name
5. e3 Semi-Slav: Meran
5. Bg5 Semi-Slav: Anti-Meran

www.freewebs.com/kensoffice/chess.htm