Queen's Gambit Accepted
Black captures the offered c-pawn, temporarily giving White more central freedom. White develops and looks to regain it; Black should challenge the center rather than spend too many moves holding the pawn.
Your plan as White
Develop quickly and recover c4 when useful; use the extra central space.
The opponent’s plan
Develop rather than clinging to the extra pawn at any cost. Challenge White's center.
Watch out: Trying to hold c4 with many pawn moves can expose the queenside and delay development.
Opening game…
Practice this line as White.
Play three moves from the line you watched. Hints draw an arrow on the board. Complete a fresh attempt without hints or retries to pass.
Sign in to practiceComplete all 6 practices across both colors for one lesson completion. Replaying a completed lesson earns no additional leaderboard completion.
Name, background and sources
The Queen's Gambit has a history reaching back to the Göttingen manuscript around 1490. The Accepted branch describes Black taking the c-pawn; its ideas developed across many generations.
Read the opening background on Chess.com ↗Lichess opening names and reference lines (CC0)
ChessSum provides original explanatory notes. Related lines are labeled separately. Reference lines illustrate ideas; they are not a claim that every other legal move is wrong.
Watch how the center and piece development change. Each arrow previews the next move.