The Queen's Gambit: Start Your Game Confidently
The Queen's Gambit chess opening debuted over three-hundred-and-fifty years before Netflix. This chess opening has stood the test of time and is still a dependable opening today.
Although primarily a positional opening, 1.d4 and 2.c4 can lead to exciting, tactical chess in many variations. The positional nature of the opening gives you every reason to play for a win.
You can play for the win without taking too many risks, which appeals to almost every player.
Yes, it requires learning a decent amount of theory, but you can start with a manageable amount and add to it as you gain experience. You can reduce your theoretical workload by combining similar strategies against different defenses.
Many dependable variations do not have as much theory as the main lines. Rather than get embroiled in the critical variations of the Slav Defense, one of Black's most reliable ways to decline the gambit, you can play the Exchange Variation.
Three Excellent Queen's Gambit Chess Games
Unsurprisingly, the Queen's Gambit is played by many world chess champions. Here Mikhail Botvinnik puts on an attacking masterclass against Paul Keres.
Mikhail Botvinnik - Paul Keres, 1952.12.09, 1-0, USSR Championship Round 8, Moscow URS
The positional nature of the Queen's Gambit chess opening suited a later world chess champion, Tigran Petrosian, exceptionally well.
Tigran Vartanovich Petrosian - Hector Corral, 1954.04.01, URU-URS Round 1, Montevideo URU
And a world champion lost a game that opened with the Queen's Gambit in his world title match against Viktor Korchnoi, but not without an incredible fight.
Viktor Korchnoi - Anatoly Karpov, 1978.10.12, 1-0, Karpov - Korchnoi World Championship Match Round 31, City of Baguio PHI
The Queen's Gambit Chess Opening: Ideas and Strategies
The debut game of the Queen's Gambit shows the dangers that Black faces in trying to keep the extra pawn in the Queen's Gambit chess opening.
Black resigned after 6.Qf3 when faced with decisive material loss.
There is venom lying close to the surface of the positional Queen's Gambit that has caught many an unwary chess player by surprise. Despite being predominately positional, there is plenty of scope within the Queen's Gambit chess opening for attacking players.
1.d4 d5 2.c4
It is clear to see that accepting the gambit allows White to establish a classical center with d4 and e4.
In many instances, this center's attacking possibilities far outweigh the cost of a pawn.
White is happy to trade the c-pawn for the d-pawn and use the semi-open c-file. The white queen will often get developed on c2, and the a1-rook will move to c1 in support of the queen.
From c2, the white queen aids a knight on c3 in controlling the e4 square and supports the e4 advance to open the center.