Queen's Gambit Declined · D07
Chigorin Defense, Main Line, Alekhine Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 Nc6 3. Nf3 Bg4 4. Qa4
Black's knight on c6 is pinned against the king.
The first 4 moves, explained
- 1. d4 Stakes a claim in the centre, controlling e5, and frees the bishop and queen.
- 1... d5 Stakes a claim in the centre, controlling e4, and frees the bishop and queen.
- 2. c4 Challenges the pawn on d5 - the central tension has to resolve. The pawn is genuinely on offer - this is the Queen's Gambit: development and initiative over material.
- 2... Nc6 Develops the knight to c6, eyeing d4 and e5. Theory calls this the Chigorin Defense.
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Where this fits
This line is one of 200 in the Queen's Gambit Declined. If you want to know where your own games leave it, the guide on leaving theory explains how that is found.