Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation (3… Nf6 4. e3)
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3
The Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D25, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3. It is a line of the Queen's Gambit Accepted. Black is to move. 4 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,604 times by this move order. White won 54%, 7% were drawn and Black won 39%. The most popular continuation is 4… e6 (37% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.18 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 4… a6 5. Bxc4 e6 6. O-O c5 7. Re1)
- ECO
- D25
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/ppp1pppp/5n2/8/2pP4/4PN2/PP3PPP/RNBQKB1R b KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 296 | |
| 1500-1999 | 546 | |
| 2000+ | 762 | |
| All | 1,604 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… e6 Normal Variation, Traditional System (4. e3 e6) | 596 (37%) | |
| 4… Bg4 Janowski-Larsen Variation | 314 (20%) | |
| 4… b5 | 139 (9%) | |
| 4… a6 | 114 (7%) | |
| 4… Nc6 | 112 (7%) | |
| 4… Bf5 | 86 (5%) | |
| 4… c5 | 68 (4%) | |
| 4… Be6 Winawer Defense | 66 (4%) |
Master games
931 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 45%, draw 25%, Black 30%). The strongest:
- LCZero0.28.0-rc1_69146 (3614) – Igel3.0.5 (3512) 1-0 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-06-24
- Igel3.0.5 (3512) – LCZero0.28.0-rc1_69146 (3614) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-06-22
- ScorpioNN3.0.13 (3483) – KomodoDragon2747.00 (3582) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-07-05
- KomodoDragon2747.00 (3582) – ScorpioNN3.0.13 (3483) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-07-03
- ScorpioNN3.0.13 (3483) – AllieSteinv0.8-120f959_PS1.7 (3543) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 21 Premier 2021 · 2021-06-24
Search all games of the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- winx_m (2917) – LOVEHRJ (2755) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
- IM ManiacalZerker (2797) – Sunrise34 (2852) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- vistagusta (2847) – Superstitions_Guy (2800) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Queen's Gambit Accepted (3. Nf3 Nf6) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6
Continuations
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Janowski-Larsen Variation D25 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Bg4
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Normal Variation, Traditional System (4. e3 e6) D26 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 e6
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Smyslov Variation D25 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 g6
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Winawer Defense D25 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 dxc4 3. Nf3 Nf6 4. e3 Be6
More Queen's Gambit Accepted lines (all)
- Queen's Gambit Accepted (2. c4 dxc4) D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Accelerated Mannheim Variation D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Greco Variation D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, McDonnell Defense, Somov Gambit D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Modern Defense D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Rubinstein Defense D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Rubinstein Defense, Yefimov Gambit D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Linares Variation D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation D20
- Queen's Gambit Accepted: Old Variation, Billinger Gambit D20
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.