As Black
Queen's Gambit Accepted
The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a chess opening for Black that starts with 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4.
Black takes the c4 pawn, planning to give it back later, and in return develops freely and hits the centre with ...c5 or ...e5.
Reviewed on November 6, 2026 · Prepared by Josep Serrano Ballestero
5 lines
Against 3.e4: ...e5
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 e5 4.Nf3 exd4 5.Bxc4 Bb4+ 6.Nbd2 Nc6
Classical line
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
Against 3.e3
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6 6.Nf3 Be7
With ...Bg4
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 Bg4 5.Bxc4 e6 6.h3 Bh5
Against 3.e4: ...Nf6
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.Bxc4 Nb6 6.Bb3 Nc6
Frequently asked questions
Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted good for beginners?
It suits players who already have some experience. On OpeningCraft it is aimed at players with Elo 1000 – 1200. It suits players who prefer long-term plans and pawn structure.
How many lines of the Queen's Gambit Accepted do you need to learn?
OpeningCraft teaches 5, in blocks of 5. They come from real Lichess games at each rating band, and the traps and opponent mistakes most common at your level come first.