Queen's Gambit Accepted

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 opens your bishop onto c4 to win the pawn back fast. Get a clear plan and traps for every Black reply.

The Queen's Gambit Accepted looks safe for Black, but 3.e3 reclaims the pawn and hands you natural, fast development. You get a clear plan against every common Black setup, from quiet maneuvering with a4 and Rc1 to sharp lines that win material outright. Several branches punish natural-looking Black moves with traps, so you combine sound structure with real swindle chances.

What you'll learn

Main Line (6...a6)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 Nf6

Black answers 3.e3 with 3...Nf6, heading into the Classical Defense after 4.Bxc4 e6 5.Nf3 c5 6.O-O a6 7.b3 b5 8.Be2 Bb7 9.Bb2 Nbd7. From 10.Nbd2, you push a4, trade on c5, and swing a rook to c1, or centralize a knight on d4 and reroute your bishop to f3.

5...Nf6 Lines (after 3...e5 4.Bxc4 4...exd4 5.exd4)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nf6

After 3...e5 opens the center, 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 leaves you with an isolated d-pawn but open lines. Black usually meets 6.Qb3 with 6...Qe7+, and after 7.Ne2 Nc6 8.O-O Na5 9.Qb5+ Nc6 10.Bg5 a6 11.Qb3 you keep active pieces along the e-file despite the isolated pawn.

5...Nc6 Lines (after 3...e5 4.Bxc4 4...exd4 5.exd4)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Nc6

If Black chooses 5...Nc6 instead, 6.Nf3 defends d4, and after 6...Bg4 7.O-O Bxf3 8.Qxf3 Qf6 9.Re1+ Be7 10.Qh3 you keep the bishop pair with an isolated d-pawn. From here you plan Nc3 and Re4 along the open e-file, with Bf4, Be3, and Qh5 to follow. Watch for the trap after 6...Nf6: if Black pins with ...Bg4 and trades on f3, 9.Bxf7+ followed by 10.Qe6# delivers mate.

Other 5th moves after 3...e5 4.Bxc4 4...exd4 5.exd4 (5...Bd6)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e5 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 Bd6

Against 5...Bd6, you check with 7.Qe2+ Qe7 8.Qxe7+ Bxe7, trading queens early while Black's pieces stay tangled. After 9.Nc3 O-O 10.O-O c6 11.Bg5, you plan a rook to e1 to keep the pin on f7, then a retreat to a2 that leaves Black's bishop on e7 exposed.

3...b5 Lines

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 b5

When Black defends c4 with 3...b5, 4.a4 challenges the pawn chain right away, and after 5.axb5 cxb5 most amateurs leave the a8 rook exposed to 6.Qf3. In the main line Black blocks with 6...Nc6 7.Qxc6+ Bd7 8.Qa6, so you simply win a piece, and after 9.Nf3 Nf6 10.Bd2 Ne4 11.Ba5 you plan to trade queens and play Be2, with Nbd2 ready to challenge the knight on e4.

Other 3rd moves (3...e6)

1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e3 e6

If Black delays with 3...e6 instead of developing a piece, you simply recapture with 4.Bxc4. Black then catches up with 4...Nf6, eyeing e4, and the game folds back into the Classical setups you already know.

What's inside

• 3 traps featured as priority lines, so you learn the tricks that win games first.
• 8 master games played in these lines, linked from the moves where they leave the course.
• 34 puzzles from real games of this opening.

Why this repertoire?

• Built for amateurs. This course suits players who know basic opening principles and want a concrete answer to the Queen's Gambit Accepted.
• A small set of ideas to remember. Most lines share the same plan: develop with b3, Bb2, and Nbd2, then push a4 and swing a rook to c1.
• Recurring plans across every reply. Whether Black plays 3...Nf6, 3...e5, or 3...b5, you keep aiming at the same targets: Black's queenside pawns and the open e-file.
• Traps that punish natural moves. Tries like 5...cxb5 after 3...b5, or a careless pin with ...Bg4 in the 5...Nc6 line, hand you material or mate outright.
• Understanding beats memorizing. Each chapter explains why a move works, like Qe2+ tangling Black's pieces or a4 undermining the queenside, so you can handle move orders you haven't studied directly.