Why play the Queen's Gambit?

I have created a group around one of the most popular openings known in chess - the Queen's Gambit. 

The opening position is 1. d4 d5 2. c4, where White plans to apply pressure to Black's center with the c-pawn. 

Here is a link to the group -

http://www.chess.com/groups/home/queens-gambit-gurus

Throughout the day, I will be working on the group to get forums established on principles of the opening.  As the group grows, I will be searching for vote and team chess matches, and it should be a lot of fun! 

I also intend for this forum for public discussion, so let's begin here with a critical statement...

After 1. d4 d5 2. c4, what is Black's best defense?  There are many options to choose from:

2...e6, 2...c6, 2...dxc, 2...Nc6, 2...Nf6, 2...e5, and maybe more!  This ought to be interesting!  :-)

If I were black I would just avoid it altogether and play the KID. I love the Queens Gambit with the white pieces. It is the opening I tend to win the most games with :).

Here is an article I found at www.chessbase.com...

Queen's Gambit Accepted

by Boris Schipkov

Doubtlessly, the most prominent exponent of the Queen's Gambit Accepted nowadays is Viswanathan Anand. Most topical are the thrilling duels between him and Kramnik, the last of which was played in Dortmund - featured on the new ChessBase training CD. But Kasparov, too, resorted to this opening during the BGN world championship match against Kramnik, when he all of a sudden needed a solid weapon against 1.d4.

The concept of this opening is relatively simple: first take on c4, then attack White's other central pawn with c5 or e5. But let's hear it from the author himself:

The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a postmodern opening, for it combines and reinforces classical and hypermodern ideas of positional play. Black is not afraid of giving up the center (hypermodern) and has no weaknesses (classical).

The QGA offers a wealth of possibilities. In contrast to the Queen's Gambit Declined, Black is able to develop his bishop from c8 to b7 or g4, and counterblows with e7-e5 or c7-c5 are possible without losing a tempo as in the Slav Defence. However, White also has various options at his disposal.

Another typical feature of the Queen's Gambit Accepted should be mentioned as well: if you want to win, you often need good tactical skills for the positions arising from the QGA are full of tactical possibilities and beautiful sacrifices.

Famous exponents of the Queen's Gambit Accepted are Anand, Kasparov, Kortschnoj, Baburin, Ibragimov, Ivanchuk, Hübner, Lautier, Yakovich, etc. The Grandmasters Fominyh and Makarov from Novosibirsk are ardent supporters of this opening as well. A lot of the ideas for White and Black were conceived by players like Steinitz, Aljechin, Rubinstein, Botvinnik, Euwe, Smyslov, Petrosian, Spassky, Karpov, Kramnik and many others."

In figures: the Queen's Gambit Accepted CD-Rom contains 19 texts, 55 games specially annotated by the author, a total of nearly 21,000 games, 1000 of which annotated, a training database and a tree of the 21,000 games.

Sample: Variation 3.Nf3 a6

After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 a6

Black would like to play b7-b5 to defend the c4 pawn. Another black idea is to bring the bishop to g4. Sometimes Black can transpose into the classical variations with Nf6 and e6. 4.a4 is harmless. Possible is the rare 4...Nc6 5.e3 Bg4 with equal chances. The second player pursues the same idea with 4...Nf6 5.e3 Bg4 6.Bxc4 e6. The main continuations are

A) 4.e4 - White really sacrifices a pawn. The positions arising after 4...b5 5. a4 Bb7 are double-edged and chaotic. 6.axb5 axb5 7.Rxa8 Bxa8 8.Nc3. Here Black has two continuations: 8...e6 leads to equal play, more interesting is 8...c6!? with a tough fight.

B) 4.e3!? - After 4...b5!? White has only a minimal advantage. In addition, Black can transpose into the Classical System with 4...Nf6 5.Bxc4 e6.

4...Bg4 is the Alekhine Variation. If White pushes the bishop immediately away with h3 and g4, Black gets counterplay. After 5.Bxc4 e6 White has five important continuations:

1) 6.d5. If now 6...Nf6, then 7.dxe6 with some endgame advantage. Better is 6...exd5 7.Bxd5 Qe7! with equal play.

2) 6.0-0 Nf6 with equality.

3) 6.Nc3. After 6...c5!?, Black has more or less equal play.

4) 6.Qb3. The most aggressive try. White gets the advantage of the two bishops. In return, Black has a better pawn structure. Bad is 6...Nc6?! 7.Bd2! or 6...b5? 7.Ne5 with an edge to White. 6...Bxf3 7.gxf3. In this position Black has three options:

7...Qc8 and White has some initiative.

7...Ra7. A bizarre move. The second player has counterplay.

7...b5. After 8.Be2 (worse is 8.Bd3?! c5 9.dxc5 Nd7) 8...c5?! White has an edge. More precise is 8...Nd7 and the chances are even.

5) 6.h3. After 6...Bxf3 follows 7.Qxf3 and due to his bishops White has a small advantage. The position arising after 6...Bh5 7.Qb3 is similar to the previous one without h3 with a balanced game.

6...Bh5 7.Nc3 Nf6. After 8.Qb3 Bxf3 Black has counterplay. The alternatives are 8.g4!? Bg6 9.Ne5 Nbd7 10.Nxg6 hxg6 with complicated and sharp play after 11.g5 or 11.Bf1; and 8.0-0, a solid and simple continuation. Now, if 8...Nd7 White has 9.e4 with a slight edge.

The alternatives are 8...c5 with more or less equal play and 8...Nc6, where the chances are even.

ya QGA would probably be blacks best bet if he wanted to play it.

There is an old chess saying: the best way to beat a gambit, is to accept it.

This link may be of interest to some: http://www.chessset.com/kaquga.html

play the KID ??? Is there a glossary someplace on this site?

 The KID is shorthand for the King's Indian Defense.  As you learn more about chess, you will become familiar with little codenames like that.

But, the KID does not immediately grab the center like 1...d5 does.  Black immediately contests the center in the Queen's Gambit lines.  This is a good line for beginners to work with - the KID would be a tough choice for a beginner, since you create early imbalances in the position and give White a spatial advantage. 

You have plenty of choices to operate under with the Queen's Gambit setup.  A good choice is the Queen's Gambit Declined with ...d5, ...e6, ...Nf6, ...Be7, ...Nbd7 and ...0-0.  You play to complete development, and then you seek to break the center with either ...c5 or ...e5. 

After Black decides to play Queen's Gambit Accepted, I generally play 4. e4. Straight to the center!

White won 79% of the decisive GM games published in Chess Life & Review during 1975 and 1976 combined . . .  that used to be a pretty good reason. The only opening stronger for WT in that survey I did was the Ruy Lopez, with 80% of such games going to WT. Of course there was no knowing how many unpublished draws may have occurred; or uninteresting unpublished wins for that matter. But it did include many games from around the world, not just American games.