Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4......... Bb7

Articles/Opening Guides/Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Bb7

Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Bb7

+100%

D291.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7

May 7, 2028

TL;DR

Deep Classical QGA: Black completes the queenside expansion plan with ...b5 and the bishop on b7 raking the long diagonal. White readies d5 to crack things open; the central tension and minor-piece quality decide the middlegame.

Reviewed by

IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator

International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.

Summary

• d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 opens the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7, ECO D29. Lichess records 10,241 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice.

History and Notable Players

It arises from the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 7.Qe2. Among the most prolific White practitioners are Boris Chatalbashev (8 games), Wolfgang Uhlmann (7 games), Vladimir Burmakin (7 games). Black-side regulars include Milan Drasko (9 games), Herman Pilnik (8 games), Matthias Krallmann (8 games).

Move Diversity and Theory Depth

What players actually play after the opening moves depends heavily on rating. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is Rd1, played 58.3% of the time. There are 2 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 100% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 0.98. By 2500, Rd1 dominates at 74.6% of replies; only 4 viable alternatives remain and 94.2% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 1.24. Move diversity stays high even at master level, suggesting the opening doesn't force one specific response.

Common Mistakes

• Neglecting development — It can feel productive to make extra pawn moves early, but falling behind in piece development is what loses most amateur games — especially in open positions where active pieces find squares fast.
• Overextending the attack — Gambits look like permission to throw everything forward. They aren't — every attacking move should improve a piece. Random checks and threats burn the initiative once they fail to coordinate.

Practice on Chessiverse

Ready to try the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7 against a bot? Pick an opponent at your level and play a game.

Quick Facts

Main Line1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7

DifficultyExpert

Parent OpeningQueen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... 7.Qe2

Style

Theoretician openings have deep, well-studied lines where knowledge of specific variations gives a significant advantage. Preparation and memorization of key lines are essential.

10,241games on Lichess

46.9%

7.5%

45.6%

White wins Draws Black wins

Top Players

As White

• Boris Chatalbashev8 games
• Wolfgang Uhlmann7 games
• Vladimir Burmakin7 games

As Black

• Milan Drasko9 games
• Herman Pilnik8 games
• Matthias Krallmann8 games

Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid)

Most Popular At2500

SharpnessCalm

Popularity by Rating

Percentage of all games at each rating bracket that feature this opening.

Data from Lichess opening explorer (blitz & rapid games)

Theory Adherence by Rating

How often players choose the single most popular move at this position. Higher = more predictable play.

White to move after the opening line

Popularity Over Time

Share of all Lichess blitz + rapid games featuring this opening, by year.

Top Moves by Rating

White to move after the opening line

RatingMost Popular2nd3rd

400Rd1100%——

1000Rd191.7�8.3%—

1200Rd158.3�41.7%—

1400Rd169.2�15.4�27.7%

1600Rd158.6%dxc520.3�10.2%

1800Rd169%dxc513.6%Nc38.3%

2000Rd173.5%dxc510.8%Nc37.3%

2200Rd171.5�11.6%dxc58.6%

2500Rd174.6�12.4%dxc57.3%

Popularity by Time Control

Bullet

<0.01%4K

Blitz

<0.01 K

Rapid

<0.01d5

2% more decisive in bullet

Raw data tables (Lichess blitz + rapid)

Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Bb7: popularity and win rates by player rating Rating (Elo) Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness 400 0.00 7 42.9 28.6 28.6 0.714 1000 0.00 12 66.7 25.0 8.3 0.917 1200 0.00 12 66.7 33.3 0.0 1.000 1400 0.00 26 53.8 42.3 3.8 0.962 1600 0.00 128 43.8 52.3 3.9 0.961 1800 0.00 734 54.2 41.7 4.1 0.959 2000 0.00 2,816 46.0 47.2 6.7 0.933 2200 0.00 5,670 47.0 45.2 7.8 0.922 2500 0.01 836 42.3 46.3 11.4 0.886 Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Bb7: move-choice theory adherence by rating Rating (Elo) Top move Top move % Viable moves Theory % Entropy 400 Rd1 100.0 1 100.0 0.000 1000 Rd1 91.7 2 100.0 0.414 1200 Rd1 58.3 2 100.0 0.980 1400 Rd1 69.2 3 92.3 1.429 1600 Rd1 58.6 4 89.1 1.781 1800 Rd1 69.0 4 91.0 1.521 2000 Rd1 73.5 4 91.6 1.330 2200 Rd1 71.5 4 91.7 1.383 2500 Rd1 74.6 4 94.2 1.241 Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Bb7: popularity over time Year Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % 2013 0.00 1 0.0 100.0 0.0 2014 0.00 12 66.7 33.3 0.0 2015 0.00 53 45.3 49.1 5.7 2016 0.00 183 46.4 44.8 8.7 2017 0.00 295 50.5 45.1 4.4 2018 0.00 387 48.6 44.7 6.7 2019 0.00 559 51.0 42.8 6.3 2020 0.00 1,509 47.1 43.7 9.1 2021 0.00 1,578 47.3 45.3 7.4 2022 0.00 1,475 47.4 45.9 6.7 2023 0.00 1,604 45.8 46.6 7.7 2024 0.00 1,663 44.4 48.1 7.5 2025 0.00 1,582 47.2 45.1 7.6 Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Bb7: popularity by time control Format Share % Games White win % Black win % Draw % Sharpness bullet 0.00 3,757 47.0 48.0 5.0 0.950 blitz 0.00 9,570 47.1 45.4 7.5 0.925 rapid 0.00 645 44.5 48.1 7.4 0.926 Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Bb7: top candidate moves by rating bracket Rating (Elo) 1st move 1st % 2nd move 2nd % 3rd move 3rd % 400 Rd1 100.0 — — — — 1000 Rd1 91.7 e4 8.3 — — 1200 Rd1 58.3 a4 41.7 — — 1400 Rd1 69.2 a4 15.4 Bc2 7.7 1600 Rd1 58.6 dxc5 20.3 a4 10.2 1800 Rd1 69.0 dxc5 13.6 Nc3 8.3 2000 Rd1 73.5 dxc5 10.8 Nc3 7.3 2200 Rd1 71.5 a4 11.6 dxc5 8.6 2500 Rd1 74.6 a4 12.4 dxc5 7.3 Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Bb7: top practitioners by side Side Player Games White Boris Chatalbashev 8 White Wolfgang Uhlmann 7 White Vladimir Burmakin 7 Black Milan Drasko 9 Black Herman Pilnik 8 Black Matthias Krallmann 8

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7 begins with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.0-0 a6 7.Qe2 b5 8.Bb3 Bb7 and is classified under ECO code D29.

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7 good for beginners?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7 can be played at any level. Beginners should focus on understanding the key strategic ideas rather than memorizing long theoretical lines. Our AI bots at various rating levels provide a great way to practice the opening concepts.

What are the win rates for the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7?

In a database of 10,241 master games, White wins 46.9% of the time, Black wins 45.6%, and 7.5% are drawn. Notable players on the White side include Boris Chatalbashev and Wolfgang Uhlmann. On the Black side, Milan Drasko and Herman Pilnik are among the most frequent practitioners.

How can I practice the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7?

On Chessiverse, you can practice the Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4... Bb7 by playing against our 600+ AI bots. Each bot has a unique playing style and opening repertoire, so you can find the perfect sparring partner for any level.

Related Openings

Queen's Gambit Accepted

QGA (2...dxc4): takes the pawn for active piece play and the half-open d-file, accepting a small structural concession. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.

Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... 3.Nf3

QGA with 3.Nf3: White ignores the c4-pawn for development and aims for d4-d5 later. Black scores just 39% — c-pawn is hard to keep. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.

Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... 4.e3

Alekhine's QGA: 3...a6 prepares ...b5 to actually hold the c4-pawn. White answers with 4.e3 keeping flexibility. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.

Queen's Gambit Accepted: 1.d4 d5 2.c4...... Nf6

Mannheim QGA: 3...Nf6 develops first and lets White pick the recapture. The main classical QGA branching point with deep theory. Play vs. AI on Chessiverse.

Reviewed by

IM John BartholomewCo-Founder & Chess Educator

International Master and chess educator. Co-founded Chessable and joined Chessiverse as co-founder. Best known for his "Climbing the Rating Ladder" YouTube series and structured opening courses.

Practice This Opening on Chessiverse

Play against 1000+ AI bots with unique personalities and opening repertoires. From beginner-friendly to grandmaster-level opponents, find the perfect sparring partner for any opening.

Play Now

Not sure which opening fits you? Take the free chess personality test — your style determines which openings will work with you.

Back to Articles