The Main Line is a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, catalogued as ECO D56. The line runs 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Rc1 h6 8. Bh4, reaching the position shown below after 15 half-moves.
Both sides have pawns in the centre (White on d4, Black on d5), and one pawn capture is available, so the structure has not settled yet. Development is level at three minor pieces each. It is Black to move after eight moves. Black has castled while White’s king is still uncommitted.
On the Queen's Gambit Declined generally: A solid and respected response to the Queen's Gambit. Black maintains a strong central presence.
You can play through this variation move by move in your browser — Learn mode walks the line with an explanation at each step, and Drill mode replays it from memory so you find out whether you actually know it. No account is required.
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The Main Line goes 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Rc1 h6 8. Bh4. It is a variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined and is catalogued as ECO D56.
The Main Line is ECO D56. ECO codes group openings by their move order, so nearby codes cover closely related lines of the Queen's Gambit Declined.
Stockfish evaluates the position after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. Nc3 Nc6 5. Bg5 Be7 6. e3 O-O 7. Rc1 h6 8. Bh4 at +0.38 at depth 18, which is a slight pull for White, within normal opening margins. Engine evaluation is only a starting point — at club level the practical value of a line is mostly about whether you know its plans better than your opponent does.
Both sides have pawns in the centre (White on d4, Black on d5), and one pawn capture is available, so the structure has not settled yet. Development is level at three minor pieces each. It is Black to move. Black has castled while White’s king is still uncommitted.