Chess Openings Lab
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Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation

The Charousek Variation is 3...Be7, developing the bishop before ...Nf6 to avoid the Bg5 pin. White usually answers with Bf4, where the bishop has a good diagonal, while Black waits to put the knight on f6 and castle in a sturdy QGD shell.

Moves
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7
ECO
D31
Engine
+0.26 · level (Stockfish 17.1, depth 20)
Played
296 games in our lichess sample
White scores
51.9%

Key ideas for both sides

White

  • 4.Bf4 is the logical reply: with ...Be7 already played, Bg5 would just trade bishops.
  • 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 fixes the Carlsbad structure with White's bishop outside the chain.
  • Continue e3, Be2 or Bd3 and Nf3, then decide between Rc1 and a quick castle.
  • A sharp option is e4 at once, gaining space while Black's knight is still on g8.

Black

  • ...Nf6, ...O-O and ...b6 with ...Bb7 is a smooth setup against Bf4.
  • ...dxc4 at the right moment, as in the engine lines, frees Black's game.
  • After cxd5, recapture ...exd5 and use ...Bd6 to challenge the f4 bishop.
  • Keep ...c5 in reserve to hit d4 once castling is done and the king is safe.

Plans and pawn structure

The early bishop move means Black rarely faces Bg5, so the fight is about White's f4 bishop. White builds with e3, Nf3, Be2 and short castling, then grabs space with Rc1 or cxd5. Black castles fast and chooses between ...b6 with ...Bb7, ...dxc4 with ...c5, or after cxd5 the ...Bd6 trade. The center stays balanced and the side with the better minor pieces gets the edge.

What the engine plays from here

Stockfish 17.1 at depth 20 rates the position +0.26: level. Its three top choices for White:

  1. +0.26 4.Bf4 Nf6 5.Nf3 O-O 6.e3 b6
  2. +0.20 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bf4 Nf6 6.e3 O-O
  3. +0.19 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bf4 O-O 6.e3 b6

Pawns, from White's side.

How it scores on lichess

296 rated lichess games reached this position; White scored 51.9%.

1600–199952.4%
2000 and up53.0%

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

Where it goes next

  • Charousek Variation, Miladinovic Gambit4.e4 · rare
  • Lasker Defense, Main Line4.Nf3 · rare

How to play against it

As White, play Bf4 and calm development; avoid Bg5, which only trades bishops. As Black, if White takes on d5, recapture with the e-pawn and offer the bishop trade with ...Bd6. Avoid an early ...dxc4 before castling, since White's e4 comes with tempo.

Questions

What are the moves of the Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation starts 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7. Its ECO code is D31.

Is the Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation good for Black?

Stockfish 17.1 rates the position +0.26 at depth 20, which is level. In 296 lichess games from our sample, White scored 51.9%. A low-risk move order for solid Black players, though it gives White an easy Bf4 setup.

What is the main idea of the Queen's Gambit Declined: Charousek Variation?

Black avoids the Bg5 pin by moving the bishop to e7 first. White's best answer is to put the bishop on f4 instead, and the game becomes a quiet QGD fight over minor-piece quality.

What should White play next?

The engine's first choice is Bf4, with cxd5 and Nf3 close behind. 4.Bf4 uses the fact that Bg5 has lost its point and grabs the h2-b8 diagonal.

Updated October 2026. Sources and method.