TheChessWorld.com
TheChessWorld Facebook TheChessWorld Twitter TheChessWorld Pinterest TheChessWorld YouTube
  • Start Here
  • Play
  • Learn
    • Training Techniques
    • Openings
    • Middlegame
    • Endgames
    • General Information
  • Tournaments
  • Academy
  • 21-Day Course
  • Store
    • TheChessWorld
    • TCW Academy
    • Chess-Teacher
    • Modern Chess
    • Roman Chess Lab
    • Foxy Chess
    • Grandmaster Magazine
    • ChessLecture
    • ICC
    • Rules Chess Strategies
    • Others
  • Contact
TheChessWorld.com
Close

Queen’s Gambit Declined: 10 Reasons to Play It

FM Zaur Tekeyev
FM Zaur Tekeyev
06.02.2021
Category: Openings
Tags: Gambits, openings, queens gambit declined
Queen’s Gambit Declined: 10 Reasons to Play It

Queen’s Gambit Declined is one of the most classical and solid chess openings. It starts with the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 when Black strengthens the center with a pawn and prepares the development of the kingside. Later, Black can opt for different schemes of development but all of them promise stability and safety. This opening is a frequent guest in a tournament practice at any level and should be studied by everyone.

If you got tired of losing after 1.d4 and are looking for a safe opening to encounter it, the QGD might be a good choice for you. Here are 10 reasons why you should add it to your repertoire.

Queens Gambit Declined

1. Queen’s Gambit Declined is a Choice of the Best Players

The QGD has been featured in most of the World Championship matches.

It served well to Jose Raul Capablanca and Emmanuel Lasker at the beginning of the 20th century and it is still working well for the best modern players such as Magnus Carlsen, Vladimir Kramnik, Fabiano Caruana, Wesley So, and many others.

2.This Opening is one of the Most Reliable Openings

The Queen’s Gambit Declined has the reputation of one of the most reliable chess openings.

Almost all the elite players have it in their repertoire, and it is extremely hard to beat them when they opt for this classical opening.

3. This Opening is Easy to Play

In This Opening, Black usually gets solid positions with good center control and a safe king.

The cost of a mistake is pretty low in this opening, so even after a few inaccuracies, the position remains playable. This increases Black’s chances for a good outcome.

4. Queen’s Gambit Declined Doesn’t Require Much Memorization

There are no forced lines in the Queen’s Gambit Declined; both sides can play according to their understanding and try realizing their plans.

This is a good opening for those who want to avoid wild computer variations and play more positional chess.

5. This Opening is Good at any level

This is a great opening for those who only start playing chess as well as for club players, masters, and grandmasters. Stronger players only need to know it deeper.

If you choose to play it now, it can serve you well for your whole life.

6. Queen’s Gambit Declined Teaches Strategic and Positional Play

Here Black plays chess in a solid classical way: you will complete the development, fight for the center and open files, use outposts for your knights, trade bad pieces, and so on.

This is a good opening to practice all of that.

7. This Opening Leads to Common Pawn Structures

The Queen’s Gambit Declined leads to numerous popular and important pawn structures. You will get an experience of playing positions with an isolated pawn or hanging pawns, learn how to deal with the minority attack in the Carlsbad structure.

Knowledge of the typical pawn structures is highly important in chess and can help you play many different openings well.

8. With This Opening You Can Opt for Different Plans

Queen’s Gambit Declined offers many different plans for Black You can learn a few of them and vary according to the tournament circumstances.

This will make you less predictable for your opponents and enrich your strategic knowledge.

9. Lots of Ideas yet to be found in Queen’s Gambit Declined

This opening has been played for hundreds of years but new plans and concepts are still coming out and, of course, a lot of ideas are yet to be found. That makes it more interesting to play and investigate.

10. Less Preparation Needed before the Rounds in QGD

If your repertoire consists of sharp openings, you need to go over the lines and brush up on them before your tournament games. Otherwise, you are risking forgetting something and getting a bad position.

With the Queen’s Gambit Declined, you will sleep better before the rounds: no need to be nervous about the opening stage.

Ready to Include Queen’s Gambit Declined into Your Opening Preparation?

IM Milovan Ratkovic comes in with his latest course QGD Mastermind – a 10+ hour video training focusing on refuting the best possible replies by White (including some tricky ones like the Catalan or the London).

queen's gambit declined

Get your copy of QGD Mastermind 60% off

Find this post useful? Share it?
Become a Chess Player You've Meant to Be!
TCW Academy is the fast, fun & convenient way to become a MUCH better chess player.
Join Academy Today!

Related Posts

  • Queen’s Gambit Declined with …h6 with FM Zaur Tekeyev [TCW Academy]Queen’s Gambit Declined with …h6 with FM Zaur Tekeyev [TCW Academy]
  • The Queen’s Gambit: The Minority Attack in The Carlsbad Pawn Structure
  • Nimzo-Indian Defense: 10 Reasons to Play for Club PlayersNimzo-Indian Defense: 10 Reasons to Play for Club Players
Related Products
5 2 votes
Article Rating
Login
1 Comment
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Salah
09.21.2021 00:51

it’s great

0
Reply
Join the FREE Road to 2200 Masterclass (and learn how to Attack Like a Chess Master)
We value your privacy
Supercharge Your Chess in 21 Days!
Join Academy Today!
TheChessWorld.com
http://pogonina.com/
Company
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • F.A.Q.
  • Partnership
  • Blog
  • Grandmasters
  • Jobs
Chess Resources
  • TCW Academy
  • The Store
  • 21 Day Course
  • Play Computer
Top Resources
  • Opening Lab
  • Mastermind
  • Chess Mastery Series
  • Academy
100% Secure Purchase
Money Back PayPal SSL Comodo
Customer Support +1 (410) 656-9104
Email Us [email protected]
Contact Us
Facebook Twitter Mail Pinterest Youtube
Copyright 2007-2023 • TheChessWorld.com • All Rights Reserved
Cookie Policy | Acceptable Use Policy | Privacy Policy | Terms and Conditions
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of all the cookies.
Cookie SettingsAccept
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT
wpDiscuz