Queen's Gambit Accepted

1. 1

   Taking the pawn is not greed

   1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4

   Black captures knowing the pawn will go back. What Black buys is time: while White spends moves regaining c4 (e3 and Bxc4, or Qa4+ and Qxc4), Black develops and prepares ...c5. The c8 bishop, the problem piece of the Queen's Gambit Declined, has an open diagonal from move two.

2. 2

   If White grabs the whole centre, hit it now

   1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4

   3.e4 takes the full centre and offers to keep it. Black must not allow it: 3...e5 or 3...Nf6 (or 3...c5) attacks d4 or e4 immediately. Waiting one move with a developing move like 3...e6 lets White play Bxc4 and Nc3 and simply enjoy more space.

3. 3

   3.Nf3: the move that stops ...e5

   1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3

   The main line. White controls e5 first so that the freeing ...e5 break is off the table, then plays e3 and Bxc4 at leisure. Black switches to the other break, ...c5, which White cannot prevent. Notice that 3.e3 allows 3...e5 at once: that single tempo is why 3.Nf3 is played ten times more often.

4. 4

   The classical tabiya

   4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 c5 6.O-O a6

   The position every QGA player must know. Black's plan is ...b5 with tempo on the bishop, ...Bb7 on the long diagonal, ...Nbd7 and ...Qc7 or ...Qb8. White chooses between keeping the tension (7.Qe2 and Rd1 preparing e4 and d5), trading queens (7.dxc5), or stopping ...b5 with 7.a4 at the cost of the b4 square.

5. 5

   Two majorities: White's in the centre, Black's on the queenside

   8.Bb3 Bb7 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Nc3 Qb8

   This is where the opening ends and the middlegame plan begins. White has e- and d-pawns against Black's single e-pawn and wants e4 and d5; Black has three queenside pawns against two and wants ...c4 and ...b4. Whoever gets their pawn break first with pieces behind it takes over.

6. 6

   The Alekhine idea: 3...a6 keeps ...b5 in reserve

   1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 a6

   Instead of 3...Nf6, Black prepares ...b5 to hold the pawn for a while and gain space. It works because White's a4 can be met by ...b4 or ...c6 with care; it fails the moment Black recaptures on b5 with a pawn and leaves the a8 rook on the long diagonal. Solid players avoid it; players who like an unbalanced fight love it.

These are the patterns worth knowing. For the full count, see the Queen's Gambit Accepted mistakes players make most often at each rating.

1. 1

   White: the d5 break against the tabiya

   8...Bb7 9.Rd1 Nbd7 10.Nc3 Qb8 11.d5

   With the rook on d1, the queen on e2 and the knight on c3, White's pieces all point at d5. The break opens the d-file, hits e6 and often leaves Black's king exposed after ...exd5 Nxd5. Black should meet it with ...c4! and ...Bd6 rather than taking; if you cannot play the break, prepare it with e4 first.

2. 2

   Black: ...c4, ...b4 and the h2 diagonal

   11.d5 c4 12.dxe6 fxe6 13.Bc2 Bd6

   Black's queenside majority does the talking: ...c4 forces the bishop back to c2, ...b4 will chase the c3 knight, and the bishop on d6 with the queen behind it aims at h2. The knight on d7 goes to c5 and then d3 or e4. The e6 pawn looks weak but it controls d5 and f5 and keeps White's pieces out.

3. 3

   White: playing with the isolated d-pawn

   9...O-O 10.a3 b6 11.Bd3 Bb7 12.Bc2

   After ...cxd4 exd4 White has an isolated pawn and the classic plans that go with it: the Bc2 and Qd3 battery against h7, a knight on e5, rooks on d1 and e1, and the d5 break once the pieces are in place. Black blockades on d5 with a knight, trades minor pieces, and waits for the endgame where the pawn is weak. Attack with pieces, not with the pawn.

4. 4

   Black: return the pawn to kill the initiative (Central Variation)

   6.O-O Be6 7.Bxe6 fxe6 8.Qb3 Qd7

   Black is a pawn up but White has every piece out. 6...Be6! offers to give the pawn back for a stable position: after the trade on e6 the doubled pawns control d5 and f5, the f-file is open for Black's rook, and the d4 pawn cramps White. 8.Qb3 hits b7 and e6, but ...Qd7 holds everything. Material back, initiative dead, game equal.

5. 5

   The queenless middlegame after 7.dxc5

   8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.b3 Ke7 10.Bb2 Nbd7

   White can avoid the whole tabiya by trading queens. The position is drawish but not dead: White plays Nbd2–e4 or Bxf6 to damage the pawns, Rc1 and Nc4; Black's king is fine on e7, and ...b6, ...Bb7 and ...Rhc8 give full equality. Know this line as Black so that 7.dxc5 never surprises you, and as White as a safe weapon against a higher-rated opponent.