Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation
ECO D35 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5
The Exchange Variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, with cxd5 exd5, leads to the famous Carlsbad structure. White releases the central tension early to fix Black's pawns and plan a long-term attack.
Plans for White
White develops with Bg5, e3, Bd3, Qc2 and Nge2 or Nf3, then chooses between the minority attack (b4-b5 to create a weak c6 pawn) and the central break f3 with e4.
Plans for Black
Black develops with ...Be7, ...c6, ...Nbd7, ...O-O and ...Re8, then plays on the kingside with ...Nf8-g6, ...Ne4 and ...f5, or meets the minority attack with ...a6 and ...b5.
Typical pawn structures
The Carlsbad structure: White pawns on d4 and e3 against Black's d5 and c6, with the c-file half-open for White and the e-file for Black.
Who it suits
Positional players who like long, clear plans and endgames with small advantages.
Common traps
The Elephant trap belongs here: after 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nxd5?? Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ Black wins a piece.
Variations
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Positional Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Reshevsky Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 c6 6. Qc2
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Sämisch Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 5. cxd5 exd5 6. Bf4
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Carlsen Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 h6 7. Bh4 Bg4
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Exchange Variation, Chameleon Variation — 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 d5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Bd3 Nbd7 8. Qc2 Re8 9. Nge2 Nf8 10. O-O-O
Related variations
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Albin Countergambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Chigorin Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Capablanca Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Vienna Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Cambridge Springs Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Anti-Tartakower Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Zilbermints Gambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Alapin Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Attack, Salvio Countergambit
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Janowski Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Normal Defense
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Traditional Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Been-Koomen Variation