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Queen's Gambit Declined (D51)
1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 Nf6 4 Bg5 Nbd7

Number of games in database: 2403
Years covered: 1847 to 2025
Overall record:
   White wins 44.2%
   Black wins 26.3%
   Draws 29.5%

Popularity graph, by decade

Explore this opening  |  Search for sacrifices in this opening.
PRACTITIONERS
With the White Pieces With the Black Pieces
Alexander Alekhine  40 games
Frank Marshall  31 games
Salomon Flohr  21 games
Rudolf Spielmann  20 games
Vladimir Raicevic  18 games
Alexander Panchenko  16 games
NOTABLE GAMES [what is this?]
White Wins Black Wins
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1927
Alekhine vs Capablanca, 1927
Evans vs H Opsahl, 1950
Euwe vs Lasker, 1934
C Mayet vs Harrwitz, 1848
Capablanca vs Manhattan CC, 1931
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 page 1 of 97; games 1-25 of 2,403  PGN Download
Game  ResultMoves YearEvent/LocaleOpening
1. C Mayet vs Harrwitz 0-1251847Berlin mD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
2. C Mayet vs Harrwitz 0-181848BerlinD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
3. Janowski vs Schlechter 1-0391895HastingsD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
4. Pillsbury vs Tinsley 1-0711895HastingsD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
5. Maroczy vs Albin 1-0431896BudapestD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
6. Janowski vs F Womersley  1-0271898Simul, 29bD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
7. C Walbrodt vs Janowski 0-1301898ViennaD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
8. Janowski vs G Marco  ½-½361898ViennaD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
9. Pillsbury vs F Lee 1-0261899LondonD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
10. Lasker vs Tinsley 1-0461899LondonD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
11. Albin vs H Wolf 0-12319002nd Kolisch Memorial, Vienna 1899/00D51 Queen's Gambit Declined
12. G Bellingham vs A Hodges  0-16519005th Anglo-American Cable MatchD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
13. Marshall vs Lipschutz  0-1541900New York SexangularD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
14. Alapin vs A Reggio 1-0471901Monte CarloD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
15. Lasker vs W Shipley 0-1241901Simul, 20bD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
16. A Hodges vs M Morgan  1-001902NY-PA corr mD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
17. J Hunt vs F W Clarke  1-05119024th Anglo-American universities cable mD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
18. J F Heemskerk vs C Trimborn  0-124190331st DCA Congress, HilversumD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
19. S F Lebedev vs V V Breev  1-01619033rd All-Russian Masters, KievD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
20. M Lowcki vs O Bernstein  ½-½4119033rd All-Russian Masters, KievD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
21. A Lueth vs T Germann  1-0261904Match Germann - LuethD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
22. V Ostrogsky vs A N Storozenko  ½-½521904Blind simul 23bD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
23. Lasker vs E Delmar 1-0401904Cambridge SpringsD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
24. W Napier vs Teichmann 0-1371904Cambridge SpringsD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
25. A Neumann vs P Kaegbein 1-038190414th DSB Congress - Hauptturnier AD51 Queen's Gambit Declined
 page 1 of 97; games 1-25 of 2,403  PGN Download
  REFINE SEARCH:   White wins (1-0) | Black wins (0-1) | Draws (1/2-1/2)  

Kibitzer's Corner
Jan-30-02
Premium Chessgames Member
  Sneaky: The Cambridge Springs Defense. I've always enjoyed the well known trap that it sets, as illustrated in the game Mayet vs Harrwitz 1848

1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Nbd7 5.cxd5 exd5 6.Nxd5? Nxd5! 7.Bxd8 Bb4+ winning the Queen

http://www.chessgames.com/perl/ches...

Apr-06-04  ruylopez900: Funny, I was just going to post the same trap =P. I didn't know this was the Cambridge Sprins Variation though. You learn something everyday!
Apr-06-04  Bears092: Mayet vs Harrwitz, 1848
Dec-05-04  manderson: Technically this isn't the Cambridge Springs. The Cambridge Springs is classified under D52 (after 5.e3 c6 6.Nf3, and then 6...Qa5). D51 is the QGD:Semi-Pillsbury, variants with 4...Nbd7, but not 5.e3 c6 6.Nf3. It includes several sub-variants such as:

Alekhine:
5.Nf3 c6 6.e4
Rochlin:
5.Nf3 c6 6.Rc1 Qa5 7.Bd2
New York:
5.Nf3 Bb4
Manhatten:
5.e3 Bb4
Westphalia:
5.e3 Bb4 6.Nf3 c5
Capablanca:
5.e3 c6 6.a3
Exchange:
5.e3 c6 6.cxd5

Feb-12-12
Premium Chessgames Member
  Penguincw: Opening of the Day

The Manhattan Defense
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.♘c3 ♘f6 4.♗g5 ♘bd7 5.e3 ♗b4


click for larger view

Much better choice than thinking you can win a pawn. :)

Mar-16-12  The Finisher: I tried to do this tonight, the Cambridge Springs.. his 4th move was Nf3. I thought that maybe I could still do it, but from experience I also know that is a recipe for disaster, continuing with the plan after a slightly different move (or even move order).

It went the first 3 moves, then: 4.Nf3 Nbd7 5.Bg5 (now I wasn't sure what to do.. I had to fill a move in - and I forgot the plan) Bb4. I knew that move was wrong, but I thought at least pin the Knight. I only discovered this yesterday, so I'm unfamiliar with it. I should have made a non-committal move, like a6, instead.

6.Bxf6 Nxf6 7.Qa4+ I should have resigned then. It went another 10 moves. Obviously I should have gone 6...Qxf6. Maybe that's a way to get white's black squared bishop if you want it; he'll play the moves out in the hope you'll do what I did.

As for the Cambridge Springs... I'm guessing all d4 players know it.

Jan-09-13  DanielBryant: Today's opening of the day is the Manhattan Defense, which is far more respectable than the Brooklyn Variation of the Alekhine. Queens obviously has the Queens Gambit; that leaves Staten Island and The Bronx as openingless boroughs (to my knowledge).
Jan-10-13
Premium Chessgames Member
  perfidious: <Daniel> I remember Joel Benjamin playing 1.e4 Nf6 2.e5 Ng8, though unsuccessfully, but there are no games of his in the DB.

Even Petrosian had a go at it in a training event for defence of his world title: Boleslavsky vs Petrosian, 1966.

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