Openings
- Chess Atlas Subsections
- VOL. I • Chess HistoryFrom Chaturanga to Neural Engines
- VOL. II • Classic ChessPieces, Notation & Rules
- VOL. III • Legendary PlayersPantheon of Chess Immortals
- VOL. IV • Great GamesInteractive game studies
- VOL. V • OpeningsOriginal CAISSORA Opening Articles
- VOL. VI • Tactics & StrategyForks, Pins & Board Geometry
Queen's Pawn Game
One move, many roads
This is a whole branch of games that begin with 1.d4. The pawn takes the centre, watches e5 and opens the road for the c1 bishop. Unlike 1.e4, it is guarded by the queen, so play tends to be slower and calmer: White builds a position rather than rushing to attack. There is no single main line here, and each player picks a development scheme.
7…Nc6
Moves
(14 plies • 7 moves)- 1–7moves
- 1.
- 2.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
- 7.
Defining move
1.d4 — the pawn guarded by the queen
The move that opens the whole branch
The d4 pawn takes the centre and is already covered by the queen, so Black has nothing to harass it with at once. The c1 bishop is free. White has many calm ways to develop, and none of them is compulsory.
Tabiya
The London setup against …d5
One typical position of the branch, though neither the only one nor the main one. White has put the bishop on f4 outside the pawn chain before e3 and is ready to settle in with Nbd2, c3 and Bd3. Black can trade bishops on g3 and strikes at the centre with …c5. White wants a sturdy camp; Black wants freedom for the pieces.
White’s plan
- Develop the f4 bishop before it is shut in by e3.
- Build a sturdy centre: e3, c3, Nbd2, Bd3.
- Castle and prepare e4, or quiet pressure.
Black’s plan
- Hold the centre with …d5 or answer flexibly with …Nf6.
- Challenge White's bishop with …Bd6.
- Strike at d4 with …c5 and open the game for the pieces.
Legends who played it
- E
- N
Vera Menchikas White · Signature opening
Games in the Atlas
No games in the Atlas yet
Lines below
- A40Queen's Pawn Game: Anglo-Slav Opening
- A40Queen's Pawn Game: Modern Defense
- A41Queen's Pawn Game
- A41Queen's Pawn Game: Rossolimo Variation
- A43Queen's Pawn Game: Liedmann Gambit
- A48Queen's Pawn Game: Barry Attack4 lines
- D00Queen's Pawn Game
- D00Queen's Pawn Game
- D00Queen's Pawn Game
- D00Queen's Pawn Game: Accelerated London System5 lines
- D00Queen's Pawn Game: Chigorin Variation10 lines
- D00Queen's Pawn Game: Hübsch Gambit
- D00Queen's Pawn Game: Levitsky Attack3 lines
- D00Queen's Pawn Game: Mason Attack
- D00Queen's Pawn Game: Stonewall Attack
- D00Queen's Pawn Game: Zurich Gambit
- D02Queen's Pawn Game: Anti-Torre
- D02Queen's Pawn Game: Chandler Gambit
- D02Queen's Pawn Game: Krause Variation
- D02Queen's Pawn Game: London System7 lines
- D02Queen's Pawn Game: Symmetrical Variation4 lines
- D02Queen's Pawn Game: Zilbermints Countergambit
- D02Queen's Pawn Game: Zukertort Variation2 lines
- D03Queen's Pawn Game: Torre Attack16 lines
- D04Queen's Pawn Game: Colle System11 lines
- Queen's Pawn Game: Veresov
- Queen's Pawn Game: Veresov Attack2 lines