Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA)
Initial Moves: 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4
Strategic Summary & Main Idea
The Queen's Gambit Accepted answers the c4 offer by taking, and the next question is the only one that matters: will Black try to keep the pawn? The correct answer is no. The position after 2...dxc4 measures +0.32, and the classical line, where Black returns the pawn and breaks with ...c5, drops to +0.22 — the lowest evaluation among the main answers to 1.d4 measured in this catalogue. Holding the pawn is expensive and fast: trying to win a second with ...Qxd4 measures +7.48, and the c4 pawn was never a won pawn, it was a borrowed tempo.
The pawn structure this opening produces
Capturing on c4 hands over the centre in exchange for time, and the resulting structure has a clear name: White has a pawn on d4 and the e4 square free, Black a queenside majority that does not exist yet. The c4 pawn is indefensible in the medium term — any attempt to hold it with ...b5 and ...a6 costs two or three pawn moves while White develops — and modern theory accepts that from the start: Black returns the pawn, plays ...c5 and trades on d4, ending with a symmetrical centre and no weaknesses. The timing of the return is the whole argument. Returning early, with ...e6 and ...c5, leads to an isolated-pawn or exchanged-centre structure where the position is balanced. Returning late reaches the same structure two developing moves short. And there is the version where White does not wait: the 3.e4 advance, which builds the big centre at once and invites Black to hit it with ...e5 and ...Nf6 — there the structure becomes an open piece game, and the evaluation stays at +0.32, exactly the starting number.
Typical Plans for White
- Recover the pawn with e3 and Bxc4 and play against the ...c5 break at the right moment
- Build the big centre with 3.e4 and accept the open game that follows ...e5
- Punish ...a6 with g4 and flank ideas: the Alekhine Variation measures +0.72, the highest here
- Against ...b5, break with a4 and open the file before Black finishes developing
- Avoid greedy queen checks: Qxc6+ in the ...b5 and ...c6 line loses the queen and measures −7.19
Typical Plans for Black
- Give the c4 pawn back and break with ...c5 when the trade leaves the centre symmetrical
- Develop with ...Nf6, ...e6 and ...Be7 before deciding what to do on the queenside
- Play 3...a6, saving ...b5 for a moment when a4 cannot break it
- Accept the isolated-pawn structure when it comes with active pieces
- Never capture on d4 with the queen to win a second pawn — the position measures +7.48 afterwards
Main Variations of the Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA)
| Variation | Move Sequence | Evaluation | Style / Characteristic |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classical line (3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3) | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6 7.dxc5 Qxd1 8.Rxd1 Bxc5 |
+0.22 | Pawn returned, ...c5 on time and a level endgame; the modern main line |
| Central Variation (3.e4 e5) | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Nc6 6.O-O Be6 |
+0.32 | A big centre against an immediate counter; open piece play |
| Alekhine Variation (3.Nf3 a6) | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 a6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.h3 Bh5 |
+0.72 | Prepares ...b5 before developing; the highest evaluation measured here |
| 3.e4 Nf6 4.e5 | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bxc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Nc6 |
+0.34 | The pawn advances and takes space, and Black's knight makes two trips |
| 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7 |
+0.54 | Black returns early with ...e5 and ends with an exchanged centre and less space |
| Two Knights (3.Nc3) | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e4 e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Qxd4 Qxd4 7.Nxd4 Bb4 |
+0.02 | Queens off early and a symmetrical endgame; White's least pressing line |
| 3.Nf3 b5 (holding the pawn) | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.b3 cxb3 7.Qxb3 |
0.00 | The attempt to hold c4 returns material and opens files; measured, exact equality |
Evaluations measured by us with Stockfish 19, depth 22, on 14/09/2026.
Frequently asked questions
Can Black hold the c4 pawn?
Not profitably. The attempt measured here, with 3...b5 and the a4 break, ends in exact equality (0.00) after Black returns everything — meaning the moves spent produced nothing. And the greedy version, taking on d4 with the queen as well, measures +7.48. The c4 pawn is a borrowed tempo, and the Queen's Gambit Accepted works when Black repays the loan early.
What is Black's best line?
The classical one with 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6, returning the pawn and breaking with ...c5, which measures +0.22 — the lowest evaluation among the defences to 1.d4 measured in this catalogue. The resulting structure is symmetrical and weakness-free, and the endgame after the queen trade is playable without specific preparation.
Is 3.e4 worth playing?
As a stylistic choice, yes. The advance builds the big centre at once and measures +0.32, exactly the same as the starting position — so it gains nothing in evaluation, but swaps a positional game for open piece play. Against 3...Nf6 4.e5 the number ticks up to +0.34, at the cost of the e5 pawn becoming a target.
Guides on this opening
Common Mistakes & Where Most Amateurs Go Wrong
- 01 Capturing on d4 with the queen to win a second pawn. After 7.Bxf7+ Kxf7 8.Qxd4 Black has traded the queen for a bishop and a pawn, and the position measures +7.48. The line:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Qxd4 6.Bxf7+ Kxf7 7.Qxd4+7.48 - 02 Giving the check 7.Qxc6+ to recover material in the ...b5 and ...c6 line. The bishop covers the square, the queen has no retreat and White loses it: −7.19. The line:
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 b5 4.a4 c6 5.axb5 cxb5 6.Qf3 Nc6 7.Qxc6+ Bd7 8.Qxc4−7.19
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