Chessy
Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense as Black
The Marshall Defense to the Queen's Gambit Declined begins with a very direct challenge to White's centre. After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 Nf6, you are already in a position where White has the move and the engine says you are under real pressure. That makes this a practical training spot: you need a clear reaction, you need to know which White tries to expect, and you need to understand why the most popular moves are not all equally accurate. Use the drill to practise the exact position and get used to the shape of the opening before White builds a comfortable edge.
Play the Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense against the engine
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Play the drill and test your defence against the common White tries. Create a free account to keep practising the position and track your progress.
Create a free account →What the engine wants you to do
Stockfish rates this +0.70, a clear edge for White. That means you are worse here and need to play accurately just to stay in the game. The engine's best move is cxd5, and the listed continuation is cxd5 c6 dxc6 Nxc6. This is the most important thing to know about the position: when White challenges the centre, Black's best response is to resolve it cleanly and keep the structure under control.
What White usually tries
The most-played continuations show what you should expect over the board. Nc3 is the most common choice with 11,294,444 games, followed by cxd5 with 4,117,871 games, Nf3 with 2,628,148 games, e3 with 2,500,252 games, Bg5 with 794,591 games, and c5 with 560,512 games. For you as Black, that means this is not a rare sideline: you need a reliable answer to several natural developing moves, not just one idea.
The moves that cost White the most
The database also tells you which White moves are the most punishable in this exact position. Nc3 is marked as an inaccuracy and loses about 0.6 pawns; e3 is also an inaccuracy and loses about 0.6 pawns; Bg5 is a mistake and loses about 1.2 pawns. In each case, the better move was cxd5. So your first job is simple: meet White's setup with calm, principled play, and do not help White get away with a slow or misplaced plan.
What the numbers say about the battle
Across 22,736,667 games at this exact position on Lichess, White wins 53.2%, draws 4.0%, and Black wins 42.8%. That is a large sample, and it tells you that White has done well from here overall. You should treat this opening as a position where Black must know the first important decision and play with discipline, because the practical results already lean against you.
Results across 22,736,667 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Nc3 | 11,294,444 | 53.0% |
| cxd5 | 4,117,871 | 56.5% |
| Nf3 | 2,628,148 | 52.8% |
| e3 | 2,500,252 | 51.3% |
| Bg5 | 794,591 | 51.4% |
| c5 | 560,512 | 48.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What is the key move for Black in the Marshall Defense position?
The engine's best move here is cxd5. The given continuation is cxd5 c6 dxc6 Nxc6, so this is the main answer to learn and drill.
How good is this position for Black?
Stockfish gives +0.70, a clear edge for White. That means you are worse here and need accurate defence.
Which White moves are most common here?
Nc3 is the most-played move, and the other main tries are cxd5, Nf3, e3, Bg5, and c5. Knowing these common choices helps you prepare for the positions you are most likely to face.
Which White move is the most dangerous?
Bg5 is the listed mistake and loses about 1.2 pawns, so it is the most costly of the named moves. Nc3 and e3 are also inaccuracies, each losing about 0.6 pawns.