D57 Queen’s Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Main Line
D57 holds three named lines, all under the name Queen’s Gambit. It leaves D56 (Queen’s Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense) with 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.cxd5 Nxc3 10.bxc3. Black’s pieces and pawns attack three squares in White’s half, the fewest of the 44 Queen’s Gambit codes. When the reference line ends, White is one pawn up on material. Five captures are made along the reference line, the third-highest count of the 44 Queen’s Gambit codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | d4 | d5 |
| 2 | c4 | e6 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Be7 |
| 4 | Nf3 | Nf6 |
| 5 | Bg5 | h6 |
| 6 | Bh4 | O-O |
| 7 | e3 | Ne4 |
| 8 | Bxe7 | Qxe7 |
| 9 | cxd5 | Nxc3 |
| 10 | bxc3 |
Moves only D57 plays
Same as D56 up to 7...Ne4, then:
- 8.Bxe7 The bishop on h4 takes the bishop on e7, attacking the queen on d8 and the rook on f8.
- 8...Qxe7 The queen on d8 takes the bishop on e7, opening a line for the rook on f8.
- 9.cxd5 The c-pawn takes the pawn on d5, covering c6 and e6, opening a line for the bishop on f1.
- 9...Nxc3 The knight on e4 takes the knight on c3, attacking the queen on d1.
- 10.bxc3 The b-pawn takes the knight on c3, covering b4 and d4.
Lines filed under D57
All three share the start 1.d4 and then split two ways at Black’s move 1.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Queen’s Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Main Line | 1...d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Be7 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 O-O 7.e3 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.cxd5 Nxc3 10.bxc3 | 19 | White +1, Black castled |
| Queen’s Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Bernstein Variation | 1...Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 d5 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 h6 6.Bh4 O-O 7.Nf3 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.cxd5 Nxc3 10.bxc3 exd5 11.Qb3 Qd6 | 22 | Black castled |
| Queen’s Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Bernstein Variation, Mar del Plata Gambit | 1...d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e3 O-O 6.Nf3 h6 7.Bh4 Ne4 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.cxd5 Nxc3 10.bxc3 exd5 11.Qb3 Rd8 12.c4 Be6 | 24 | Black castled |
Queen’s Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Bernstein Variation
- 1...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.
- 2.c4 The c-pawn advances two squares to c4, covering b5 and d5, opening a line for the queen on d1.
- 2...e6 The e-pawn advances to e6, covering d5 and f5, opening a line for the queen on d8 and the bishop on f8.
- 3.Nc3 The knight leaves b1 for c3, opening a line for the rook on a1.
- 3...d5 The d-pawn advances two squares to d5, covering c4 and e4, opening a line for the bishop on c8 and the queen on d8.
Queen’s Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Bernstein Variation, Mar del Plata Gambit
- 1...d5 The d-pawn advances two squares to d5, covering c4 and e4, opening a line for the bishop on c8 and the queen on d8.
- 2.c4 The c-pawn advances two squares to c4, covering b5 and d5, opening a line for the queen on d1.
- 2...e6 The e-pawn advances to e6, covering d5 and f5, opening a line for the queen on d8 and the bishop on f8.
- 3.Nc3 The knight leaves b1 for c3, opening a line for the rook on a1.
- 3...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.
The road to D57
Two of the nine named positions on the way are reached by a move order other than their own.
- 1.d4 … 6...O-Oseven earlier stops: A40, D00, D06, D30, D31, D53
- 7.e3D55 Main Line by another order
- 7...Ne4D56 Lasker Defense
- 10.bxc3D57
The position after 10.bxc3
White has brought out the knight on f3; Black has not yet moved a knight or bishop. White has a half-open b-file; Black a half-open d-file. Black could capture with exd5. Undefended and attacked: the pawn on d5. Black is to move and has 31 legal moves.
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| D59 | Queen’s Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense, Makogonov Exchange Variation | eight squares: b2, c3, h4, d5, b6, b7, e7, d8 |
| D55 | Queen’s Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line | ten squares: b2, c3, c4, d5, g5, f6, h6, e7 … |
| D58 | Queen’s Gambit Declined: Tartakower Defense | ten squares: b2, c3, c4, h4, d5, b6, f6, b7 … |
| E51 | Nimzo-Indian Defense: Normal Variation, Ragozin Variation | 11 squares: c1, b2, c3, b4, c4, d5, f6, h6 … |
| D60 | Queen’s Gambit Declined: Orthodox Defense | 12 squares: b2, c3, c4, d5, g5, f6, h6, d7 … |
| D84 | Grünfeld Defense: Brinckmann Attack, Grünfeld Gambit Accepted | 12 squares: g1, b2, c3, f3, d5, e6, g6, h6 … |
| E50 | Nimzo-Indian Defense | 12 squares: c1, b2, c3, b4, c4, d5, f6, h6 … |