Chessy
Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System – Playing Black
The Queen's Gambit Accepted is a sharp way to meet 1.d4. After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 3.e4, White immediately stakes a claim in the centre, and the Alekhine System continues with 4.e5, kicking your knight to d5. This position is well-trodden — over 223,000 games have reached it — so understanding your plans as Black is essential. Stockfish rates the position +0.36, a small plus for White, meaning you stand slightly worse. But the statistics across thousands of human games show that White's advantage is far from crushing, and that most of your opponents will miss the best move. Let's see how to handle the critical moment.
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Create a free account →What You're Fighting For: Outpost on d5
Your knight on d5 is the centrepiece of Black's position. It sits securely in a central outpost, immune to attack by enemy pawns (White has no c- or e-pawn to chase it). From here it eyes the f6 and e7 squares and controls the action in the centre. Your main goal is to keep this knight well-supported while completing your development. If White handles things imprecisely, that knight can become a permanent thorn — especially if you can eventually play ...c5 to challenge White's pawn centre and open lines for your pieces. The position rewards patience: develop naturally, castle quickly, and look to undermine White's imposing pawn chain when the time is right.
The Engine's Choice: Bxc4
The best move for White, according to Stockfish, is 5.Bxc4 — recapturing the pawn and developing with tempo. After 5...Nb6 (your knight retreats to a fine square, eyeing c4 and keeping flexible) White usually continues 6.Bd3, when 6...Nc6 is the engine's suggested follow-up. This line produces a normal-looking position where White has a slight edge due to their central space advantage. Be ready for this solid continuation. You retreat your knight, finish development, and look ahead to a middlegame where the space imbalance gives you clear counterplay — you'll often target White's advanced e5-pawn with moves like ...f6 or ...Bf5.
What the Statistics Reveal
White's practical results across 223,776 games tell an interesting story. The main line 5.Bxc4 scores 54.6% for White, which is solid but far from decisive. Notice what happens when White tries something else. After 5.Nc3 (5,520 games) White scores 51.8%, and after 5.Nf3 (3,262 games) White scores just 50.6% — barely better than half. Even more telling: after 5.Qa4+ (1,133 games) White scores 50.8%. The clear outlier is 5.Qf3 (235 games) where White scores only 47.7% — actually a slight edge for Black! In human play, the position offers you very realistic chances, especially when White doesn't find the best recapture.
Punish Your Opponent's Mistakes
The biggest opportunity for you as Black comes when White plays a suboptimal fifth move. The engine is blunt: 5.Nc3 is an inaccuracy (costs White about 0.9 pawns), 5.Nf3 is an inaccuracy (costs about 0.8 pawns), and 5.Qa4+ is a full mistake (costs about 2.0 pawns). Each of these is played thousands of times in real games — your opponents will slip up. After 5.Qa4+, the check is easily parried by ...Bd7 or ...Nc6, and White has wasted a tempo while leaving their queen exposed. After 5.Nf3 or 5.Nc3, White hasn't recaptured the c4-pawn, and you can snatch it back yourself or punish the slow development. If you can recognise this position and stay alert, you will regularly outperform White's expected score.
Results across 223,776 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Bxc4 | 212,703 | 54.6% |
| Nc3 | 5,520 | 51.8% |
| Nf3 | 3,262 | 50.6% |
| Qa4+ | 1,133 | 50.8% |
| f4 | 303 | 51.8% |
| Qf3 | 235 | 47.7% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the Queen's Gambit Accepted good for Black?
Yes, it's a perfectly sound and popular defence. The starting position after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 dxc4 gives Black a solid but active game. In this specific Alekhine System line, Stockfish rates it +0.36 for White — a small edge, not a winning advantage. Black wins 41.9% of games from here, which is respectable for a position that favours White slightly.
What's the best way to handle the knight on d5?
Your knight on d5 is well placed but will almost certainly be challenged. After 5.Bxc4, White attacks it, and the engine's best response is 5...Nb6, retreating to a flexible square. Don't be tempted to keep the knight in the centre with ...Nf6? — White has no pawn to attack it, but they can gain time with moves like Bg5 later. The retreat to b6 is natural and strong.
How should I respond to 5.Qa4+?
5.Qa4+ is a mistake that costs White about 2.0 pawns. Simply block the check with 5...Bd7 or 5...Nc6, both of which develop a piece and leave White's queen awkwardly placed. After that, you can capture the c4-pawn for free — White has lost time and has nothing to show for it. In practice, White scores only 50.8% after this move, so you should be very happy to see it.
Why do so many players play 5.Nc3 instead of Bxc4?
5.Nc3 looks natural — it develops a piece and attacks the knight on d5. But it's an inaccuracy because White leaves the c4-pawn hanging and doesn't recapture it. After 5...Nxc3 6.bxc3, Black has surrendered the nice knight, but White's pawn structure is damaged and you're a pawn up. The statistics back this up: after 5.Nc3, White scores just 51.8%, and the engine says it costs White roughly 0.9 pawns of advantage.
What is Stockfish's evaluation of the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System: e5?
At depth 16, Stockfish rates the Queen's Gambit Accepted: Central Variation, Alekhine System: e5 as a slight advantage for White (+0.36) from White's perspective. This is the computer's assessment of the position after the main opening moves.