Play With TheoryQueen's Pawn Game · III. Closed Game
Queen's Gambit Accepted
The Queen's Gambit Accepted (QGA) is a variation of the QG where Black chooses to capture White's gambited pawn. While this opening usually leads Black to more open positions, it comes at the price of diverting Black's central presence.
- Side
- black
Characteristics
- 🔱 FlexibleCan branch into either sharp or quiet structures depending on move order and player choices.
- 👥 PrevalentCommon enough that opponents are likely to have experience and prepared responses.
- ⏳ TheoreticalNeeds concrete preparation, but not necessarily the extreme depth of the heaviest theory openings.
Strategic guide
Plans and motifs
- White can usually regain the gambited pawn by playing e3 or e4, and recapturing on c4 with the light-square bishop.
- If Black tries to hold onto their pawn by playing ...b5, White's best reply is usually a4 to further undermine Black's queenside pawns.
- The main reason White opts to play e3 rather than e4 is to overprotect their d-pawn, which was permanently weakened by the loss of the c-pawn, and prevent it from becoming a target of attack.
- As in most QG lines, Black's main pawn breaks are ...c5 and ...e5.
Theory map
Common lines
- 3.Nf3 — Main Line
- 3.e4 — Central Variation
- 3.e3 — Old Variation
Train the opening
Training paths
A repertoire plan turns an opening into an ordered set of positions and branches to learn, practice, and review. Foundation paths cover the core branches. Mastery paths add deeper variations after the foundation is complete.
Foundation path
Start training this opening
Queen's Gambit Accepted
developing
Imported Lines
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01
Knight's Gambit
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02
Rook Heist
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03
Rook Snatch
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04
Kingside Raid
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05
Royal Fork
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06
Sac & Fork
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07
Swift Siege
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08
Double Strike
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09
f7 Assault
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10
C7 Crush
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11
Iron Grip
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12
Queen's Gaze
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13
Pin & Pressure
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14
Knight Skewer
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15
Fortress Build
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16
Quiet Storm
Mastery path
View mastery plan
Queen's Gambit Accepted Mastery
advanced
Imported Lines
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01
Center Heist
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02
F7 Smash
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03
Center Steamroll
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04
Rook Heist
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05
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 b5 4. a4 Bd7 5. axb5 Bxb5 6. Na3 Qd7 7. Nf3
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06
Bishop Eviction
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07
Knight Guillotine
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08
Queen Sting
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09
Knight Hunt
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10
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 exd4 5. Bxc4 c5 6. Ne5 Be6 7. Bxe6 fxe6 8. Qh5+ K...
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11
Center Steamroller
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12
Rook Snatch
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13
Pawn Steamroller
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14
E6 Spear
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15
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 exd4 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Ne5+ Ke8 8. Qxg...
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16
Pawn Payback
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17
Kingside Raid
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18
Twin Targets
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19
Queen Trap
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20
Greek Gift
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21
Center Steamroller
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22
Queen Boomerang
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23
A4 Ambush
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24
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 Nc6 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. d5 Bxf3 6. gxf3 Ne5 7. f4 Nd3+ 8. Bxd3 cx...
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25
C7 Fork
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26
Queen Squeeze
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27
Center Heist
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28
C6 Crusher
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29
C6 Spear
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30
Knight Harvest
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31
Central King Hunt
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32
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 exd4 6. Bxf7+ Ke7 7. Bxg8
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33
Knight Spear
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34
Sac & Fork
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35
F7 Battery
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36
Swift Siege
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37
Queen Carousel
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38
F7 Raid
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39
Pawn Eviction
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40
Queen Carousel
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41
Double Strike
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42
Queen Raid
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43
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 exd4 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Ne5+ Ke6 8. Qxg...
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44
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Nc3 Bd7 7. d5 Nf6 8. e5 Ng8 9....
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45
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 b5 4. a4 c6 5. axb5 cxb5 6. Nc3 Bd7 7. d5 e6 8. dxe6 fxe6 9...
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46
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 exd4 6. Bxf7+ Kxf7 7. Ne5+ Ke8 8. Qxg...
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47
F7 Squeeze
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48
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. e4 e5 4. Nf3 Bg4 5. Bxc4 exd4 6. Bxf7+ Ke7 7. Bxg8 Rxg8 8. Bg5...
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49
C7 Crush
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50
Iron Grip
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51
Center Grab
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52
Queen's Gaze
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53
F7 Squeeze
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54
Wing Breaker
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55
Pin & Pressure
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56
Knight Skewer
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57
Fortress Build
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58
Quiet Storm
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59
Open King Hunt