Tree path 8 levels Queen's Pawn Game › Queen's Gambit › Queen's Gambit Declined › Queen's Knight Variation › Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense › Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation › Knight Defense › Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense
- Chess Codex
- Queen's Pawn Game D00
- Queen's Gambit D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined D30
- Queen's Knight Variation D31
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense D35
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation D50
- Knight Defense D51
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense D51 you are here
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense is a sacrificial opening line filed under ECO D51 in the Closed & Semi-Closed Games group. The defining idea is the early concession of material to seize the initiative and unbalance the position.
The Closed & Semi-Closed Games group covers closed and semi-closed games — 1.d4 systems characterised by long strategic manoeuvring rather than early tactics.
It is reached after 9 plies of play, with the move sequence 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Nbd7 5. e3.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense, part of the broader Queen's Pawn Game system.
2 named variations grow from this line, including Queen's Gambit Declined: Manhattan Variation, Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense.
In total, the branch covers 5 sub-variations across all depths.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- D51
- Group
- Closed & Semi-Closed Games (D)
- Plies
- 9
- Direct variations
- 2
- Total in subtree
- 5
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. A more detailed, human-written description is on the way — and you can speed it up by suggesting one yourself.
Statistics from Lichess
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| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
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Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached
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Variations (2)
Show all 5 sub-variations (full subtree)
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Manhattan Variation 10-ply
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Knight Defense 10-ply
- D52 Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Argentine Variation 17-ply
- D52 Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense, Capablanca Variation 13-ply
- D51 Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation, Anti-Cambridge Springs Variation 11-ply