Chess Openings Lab
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Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Modern Defense

The Modern Defense in the Central Variation is 3.e4 Nc6, putting pressure on d4 with the knight before deciding on ...e5 or ...Bg4. White wants space with d5 and quick development, while Black targets the d4 pawn and keeps the c4 pawn as long as possible.

Moves
1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nc6
ECO
D20
Engine
+0.44 · a slight edge for White (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
1,647 games in our lichess sample
White scores
55.8%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • Play 4.Nf3, the top engine move, guarding d4 and meeting ...Bg4 with d5.
  • The push d5 kicks the c6 knight to e5 or a5, gaining space and time.
  • Recover the c4 pawn with Bxc4 once the knight is chased away from the center.
  • Use Be3 and Nc3 to support the d5 pawn and develop toward short castling.

Black

  • Pin the f3 knight with ...Bg4 to remove a defender of d4 and make d5 harder to support.
  • After d5, plant the knight on e5 and offer the trade on f3 to weaken White.
  • Play ...e6 and ...exd5 to break White's d5 pawn and free the f8 bishop.
  • Use ...e5 when d4 is short of defenders, forcing White to commit.

Plans and pawn structure

Black's knight hits d4 at once, and White usually answers with d5 to gain space. After 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.d5 Ne5 6.Nc3 Nf6 7.Be3 c6, Black hits f3 and d5 while White develops and prepares Bxc4. White's long-term plan is to keep a space edge and attack the knight on e5. Black wants to trade the space-gaining pawn with ...e6 or ...c6 and get the pieces active.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.44: a slight edge for White. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.44 4.Nf3 Bg4 5.d5 Ne5 6.Nc3 Nf6
  2. +0.39 4.d5 Ne5 5.Nf3 Nxf3+ 6.Qxf3 e6
  3. +0.20 4.Be3 Nf6 5.Nc3 e5 6.d5 Na5

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

1,647 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 55.8%.

under 120058.5%
1200–159954.4%
1600–199955.7%

Light: White wins. Grey: draws. Dark: Black wins. About the sample.

How to play against it

As White, develop with 4.Nf3 and push d5 when the knight on c6 becomes a target. Don't rush to win back c4 if it costs time. As Black, use ...Bg4 and ...Ne5 actively and break with ...e6 or ...c6. Keep the c4 pawn only while it costs nothing.

Questions

What are the moves of the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Modern Defense?

The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Modern Defense starts 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 Nc6. Its ECO code is D20.

Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Modern Defense good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.44 at depth 20, which is a slight edge for White. In 1,647 lichess games from our sample, White scored 55.8%. An active setup for Black players who like active piece play, while White's space gives a pleasant game if the center is handled well.

What is the main idea of the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Modern Defense?

Black develops the queen's knight to hit d4, often adding ...Bg4. White gains space with d5, chases the knight and later recovers c4, while Black breaks with ...e6 or ...c6.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is Nf3, with d5 and Be3 close behind. 4.Nf3 protects d4, and the d5 push can come once Black's bishop goes to g4.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.