Opening courses
Black repertoireImproving to club

The Queen's Gambit Accepted Collector

Accept the c4 pawn, develop with purpose, and challenge the centre before White turns space into an attack.

We accept White's offered c-pawn and turn the next few moves into a contest between central space and development. This repertoire combines a restrained bishop setup against e3 with immediate pawn pressure against e4, so it suits players who enjoy both clear structures and forcing calculations. The sharp lines require attention to checks and loose pieces; the quieter ones reward well-timed pawn breaks rather than a permanent attachment to the extra pawn.

ClassicalCounterattack
chapters
3
lines
59
moves to know
288
Try the first line free

1. Classical development: return the pawn and strike the centre

20 lines

White recovers the c4 pawn with the bishop and builds a compact centre behind it. We use a modest bishop setup, secure the king, and challenge d4 when White's development makes the pawn structure clear. An isolated d-pawn gives White active pieces, so our blockade must be backed by development. The recurring plan is to connect our knights, choose a useful diagonal for the c8 bishop, and contest the central files.

  1. Line 11.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.e3 e6 5.Bxc4 Be7 6.Nc3 c5 7.a3 O-O 8.O-O a6 9.Qe2 b5 10.Ba2 b4 11.axb4 cxb4 12.Na4 a5FreeLearn
  2. Line 2… 5…Be7 6.Qc2 c5 7.dxc5 Qa5+ 8.Nbd2 O-O 9.O-O Qxc5Premium
  3. Line 3… 5…Be7 6.O-O O-O 7.Nc3 c5 8.Qe2 cxd4 9.exd4 a6 10.a4 Nc6 11.Be3 Nb4 12.Ne5 Bd7Premium
  4. Line 4… 10…Nc6 11.Rd1 Nb4 12.Bg5 Bd7 13.d5 exd5 14.Nxd5 Nbxd5 15.Bxd5 Nxd5 16.Rxd5 Bxg5 17.Nxg5 h6 18.Qd2 hxg5 19.Rxd7 Qf6 20.Rxb7 Rfd8Premium
  5. Line 5… 11…Nb4 12.Ne5 Bd7 13.Bg5 Bc6Premium
  6. Line 6… 9…a6 10.Bg5 h6 11.Bh4 Nc6 12.Rad1 Nd5Premium
  7. Line 7… 9…a6 10.Rd1 b5 11.Bb3 Bb7 12.Ne5 Nc6 13.Bg5 Nxd4 14.Qe3 Nd5Premium
  8. Line 8… 11…Bb7 12.Bg5 Nbd7 13.d5 exd5 14.Nxd5 Bxd5 15.Bxd5 Nxd5 16.Rxd5 Bxg5 17.Nxg5 h6Premium
  9. Line 9… 7…c5 8.e4 cxd4 9.Nxd4 Qc7 10.Qe2 Nc6 11.Nxc6 bxc6 12.Be3 Bb7 13.Rac1 c5Premium
  10. Line 10… 6…O-O 7.Re1 c5 8.e4 Nc6 9.d5 exd5 10.exd5 Na5 11.b3 Nxc4 12.bxc4 b5Premium
  11. Line 11… 6…O-O 7.Qc2 b6 8.Nc3 c5 9.Rd1 Bb7 10.dxc5 Qc7 11.b4 bxc5 12.b5 Nbd7Premium
  12. Line 12… 8…c5 9.dxc5 bxc5Premium
  13. Line 13… 6…O-O 7.Qe2 c5 8.Rd1 cxd4 9.exd4 a6 10.Nc3 b5Premium
  14. Line 14… 7…c5 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Rd1 Qe7 10.Nc3 Nc6Premium
  15. Line 15… 8…Bxc5 9.e4 Nc6 10.e5 Nd5 11.Nc3 Nxc3 12.bxc3 h6 13.Rd1 Qc7 14.Bd3 Ne7Premium
  16. Line 16… 10…Nd5 11.Nbd2 Nf4 12.Qe4 Ng6 13.h4 Qc7 14.Re1 b5 15.Bxb5 Bb7 16.Bxc6 Bxc6Premium
  17. Line 17… 10…Nd5 11.Qe4 Nce7 12.Bg5 Qd7Premium
  18. Line 18… 10…Nd5 11.Rd1 Qc7 12.Bxd5 exd5 13.Rxd5 Qb6 14.Nc3 Be6 15.Rd1 Rad8Premium
  19. Line 19… 11…Qc7 12.Bd3 Nce7 13.Bxh7+ Kxh7 14.Ng5+ Kg8 15.Qh5 Bxf2+ 16.Kxf2 Qc2+ 17.Kg1 Qg6Premium
  20. Line 20… 12…Nce7 13.h4 h6Premium

2. Central expansion: counterplay with checks and pawn breaks

25 lines

White's e4 advance creates an impressive centre before recovering the c4 pawn. We challenge its supporting pawns immediately and use a bishop check to influence White's development choices. Some branches exchange queens quickly; others involve exposed kings and material investments that demand concrete calculation. The main lesson is to connect every capture with the next developing tempo, keeping f7 and the king's escape route in view while the centre changes.

  1. Line 11.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4 e5 4.d5 Nf6 5.Nc3 b5 6.Bg5 Bc5Premium
  2. Line 2… 5…b5 6.Nxb5 Nxe4 7.Bxc4 Bb4+ 8.Kf1 O-OPremium
  3. Line 3… 3…e5 4.Nf3 Bb4+ 5.Bd2 Bxd2+ 6.Qxd2 exd4 7.Qxd4 Nf6 8.Qxd8+ Kxd8 9.Nc3 Be6 10.Ne5 Ke7Premium
  4. Line 4… 9…Be6 10.Nd4 Ke7 11.Nxe6 fxe6 12.Bxc4 Rd8Premium
  5. Line 5… 6…exd4 7.Bxc4 Nc6 8.O-O Nge7Premium
  6. Line 6… 6…exd4 7.Nxd4 Ne7 8.Bxc4 O-O 9.Nc3 c5 10.Ndb5 Qxd2+ 11.Kxd2 a6 12.Nc7 Ra7Premium
  7. Line 7… 7…Ne7 8.Nc3 Nbc6 9.Nxc6 Nxc6 10.Qxd8+ Nxd8Premium
  8. Line 8… 5…Bxd2+ 6.Nbxd2 exd4 7.Bxc4 Nc6 8.Nb3 Nge7 9.Nbxd4 O-OPremium
  9. Line 9… 7…Nc6 8.O-O Nge7 9.Nb3 O-O 10.Nfxd4 Nxd4 11.Nxd4 Ng6Premium
  10. Line 10… 4…Bb4+ 5.Nbd2 c3 6.Qa4+ Nc6 7.d5 cxd2+ 8.Nxd2 Qh4Premium
  11. Line 11… 5…c3 6.bxc3 Bxc3 7.Rb1 exd4 8.Bc4 c5 9.Ne5 Nh6 10.Qh5 O-O 11.O-O Nd7 12.Ndf3 Nxe5 13.Nxe5 Qf6 14.Bxh6 gxh6Premium
  12. Line 12… 8…c5 9.O-O Nc6 10.Qb3 Kf8Premium
  13. Line 13… 8…c5 9.Ba3 Nc6 10.Bxc5 Nge7Premium
  14. Line 14… 4…Bb4+ 5.Nc3 Nf6 6.Bxc4 exd4 7.Nxd4 O-O 8.f3 Qe7 9.Be3 c5 10.Nc2 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Nc6Premium
  15. Line 15… 7…O-O 8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 Nxe4 10.Ba3 Nd6 11.Nb5 Nc6Premium
  16. Line 16… 9…Nxe4 10.Qf3 Nd6 11.Bd3 Nd7Premium
  17. Line 17… 9…Nxe4 10.Bd3 Nf6 11.Ba3 Re8 12.Re1 Bd7 13.Qb3 Nc6 14.Qxb7 Nxd4 15.cxd4 Be6Premium
  18. Line 18… 5…Nf6 6.Qa4+ Nc6 7.d5 Nxe4 8.dxc6 Nxc3 9.cxb7+ Nxa4+Premium
  19. Line 19… 8…Nxc3 9.bxc3 Bxc3+ 10.Bd2 b5 11.Qd1 Bxa1 12.Qxa1 O-O 13.a4 Bf5 14.axb5 Bd3Premium
  20. Line 20… 5…Nf6 6.Nxe5 b5 7.Be2 Nxe4 8.O-O Bxc3 9.bxc3 Nxc3 10.Bxc4 bxc4 11.Qf3 Qd5 12.Qxc3 O-O 13.Nxc4 Ba6 14.Ne3 Qc6Premium
  21. Line 21… 6…b5 7.Bg5 c5 8.d5 Qd6 9.Bxf6 Qxf6 10.Nf3 Bxc3+ 11.bxc3 Qxc3+Premium
  22. Line 22… 7…c5 8.dxc5 Qe7 9.Nf3 Nbd7 10.Be2 Bb7 11.O-O Bxc3 12.bxc3 O-O 13.a4 a6 14.axb5 axb5 15.Rb1 Qxc5 16.Be3 Qc7 17.Rxb5 Bxe4 18.Qd2 Rfe8Premium
  23. Line 23… 6…b5 7.f3 O-O 8.a3 Ba5 9.a4 a6 10.Be2 Nfd7 11.Nxd7 Nxd7 12.O-O c6 13.Be3 Nb6Premium
  24. Line 24… 7…O-O 8.Be3 c5 9.dxc5 Qa5Premium
  25. Line 25… 8…c5 9.a3 Ba5 10.dxc5 Qe8 11.Qd6 Be6 12.O-O-O Qc8 13.Nxb5 a6 14.Nd4 Bc7 15.Nxe6 Bxd6 16.Rxd6 fxe6 17.Bxc4 Re8 18.c6 Re7 19.Bb6 Nbd7 20.cxd7 Nxd7 21.Nc6 Kh8Premium

3. Early deviations: meet queens and knights actively

14 lines

Early queen sorties, knight development, and a kingside fianchetto change the usual pawn recovery sequence. We answer with developing threats and central pawn breaks, preserving the c4 pawn only when its defence fits our piece placement. Queenside expansion can gain time against the c3 knight, but it must eventually lead to bishop development and king safety. Our reference points are the opponent's immediate threat, the central pawn support, and the remaining undeveloped pieces.

  1. Line 11.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e4 e5 5.d5 b5Premium
  2. Line 2… 4…e5 5.Nf3 exd4 6.Nxd4 Bc5 7.Be3 Ng4Premium
  3. Line 3… 2…dxc4 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Qa4+ Nc6 5.e3 e6Premium
  4. Line 4… 4…Nc6 5.Nc3 e6 6.Qxc4 Nb4 7.Qb3 c5Premium
  5. Line 5… 3…Nf6 4.g3 Nc6 5.Bg2 e5 6.Qa4 exd4 7.Nxd4 Qxd4 8.Bxc6+ Nd7Premium
  6. Line 6… 4…Nc6 5.Nc3 e5 6.Nxe5 Qxd4 7.Nxc6 Qxd1+ 8.Nxd1 bxc6 9.Bg2 Bb4+ 10.Bd2 Bxd2+ 11.Kxd2 Nd5Premium
  7. Line 7… 3…Nf6 4.Nc3 a6 5.a4 Nc6 6.e3 Na5 7.Ne5 Be6 8.Be2 g6 9.O-O Bg7Premium
  8. Line 8… 7…Be6 8.e4 Nd7Premium
  9. Line 9… 4…a6 5.e3 b5 6.a4 b4 7.Na2 a5 8.Bxc4 e6 9.O-O Bb7Premium
  10. Line 10… 6…b4 7.Nb1 e6 8.Bxc4 Bb7 9.O-O c5Premium
  11. Line 11… 4…a6 5.e4 b5 6.a4 b4 7.Na2 Nxe4 8.Nxb4 e6 9.Nc2 c3Premium
  12. Line 12… 7…Nxe4 8.Bxc4 e6Premium
  13. Line 13… 5…b5 6.Be2 e6 7.a4 Bb7 8.axb5 axb5 9.Rxa8 Bxa8Premium
  14. Line 14… 5…b5 6.e5 Nd5 7.Ng5 e6 8.Qh5 Qe7 9.a4 Bb7 10.Be2 h6Premium