Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation
Overview
Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation is a gambit, classified under ECO code D37 within the Closed & Semi-Closed Games family. As with all gambits, one side sacrifices material early — usually a pawn — in exchange for development, open lines, or initiative.
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 begins with 7 plies and takes 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 to reach the canonical position.
It is the root of 11 named variations, with Queen's Gambit Declined: Anti-Tartakower Variation, Petrosian Variation, Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation, Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, and others among the most studied.
Counted recursively, this branch covers 42 sub-variations at all depths.
Step through the moves on the interactive board below, review the live Lichess statistics, or play this position against Stockfish at one of six difficulty levels.
- ECO code
- D37
- Group
- Closed & Semi-Closed Games (D)
- Plies
- 7
- Direct variations
- 11
- Total in subtree
- 42
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
Loading…
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached
Description
Write a description
Markdown supported (headings ###, bold, lists, links).
Submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Variations (11)
- D55 Queen's Gambit Declined: Anti-Tartakower Variation, Petrosian Variation
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Miles Variation
- D55 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line
- D55 Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation, Main Line
- D38 Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense
- D40 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights, Vienna Variation
- D44 Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Alatortsev System
- D44 Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Szabo Variation
Show all 42 sub-variations (full subtree)
- D55 Queen's Gambit Declined: Anti-Tartakower Variation, Petrosian Variation 21-ply
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation 8-ply
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack 9-ply
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Miles Variation 11-ply
- D55 Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line 11-ply
- D55 Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation, Main Line 13-ply
- D38 Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense 8-ply
- D40 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense 8-ply
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights, Vienna Variation 8-ply
- D44 Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Alatortsev System 18-ply
- D44 Semi-Slav Defense: Botvinnik Variation, Szabo Variation 21-ply
- D35 Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Sämisch Variation 11-ply
- D37 Main Line 14-ply
- D37 Two Knights Defense 12-ply
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Knight Defense, Alekhine Gambit 12-ply
- D56 Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Teichmann Variation 17-ply
- D55 Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation 12-ply
- D60 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense 12-ply
- D38 Alekhine Variation 9-ply
- D39 Vienna Variation 10-ply
- D41 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense 9-ply
- D58 Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense 14-ply
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation, Quiet Variation 9-ply
- D38 Queen's Gambit Declined: Westphalian Variation 12-ply
- D55 Queen's Gambit Declined: Anti-Tartakower Variation 13-ply
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack 19-ply
- D37 Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack 19-ply
- D60 Botvinnik Variation 13-ply
- D63 Main Line 13-ply
- D61 Rubinstein Variation 13-ply
- D41 Endgame Variation 15-ply
- D41 Exchange Variation 11-ply
- D41 Pillsbury Variation 11-ply
- D63 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Henneberger Variation 14-ply
- D63 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Main Line 14-ply
- D62 Flohr Line 15-ply
- D41 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Exchange Variation 13-ply
- D42 Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense, Main Line 13-ply
- D68 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Classical Variation 25-ply
- D64 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Attack 15-ply
- D63 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Swiss, Carlsbad Variation 15-ply
- D64 Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense, Rubinstein Attack 16-ply