Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation
Chess opening · ECO D37 · 7 half-moves
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3
The Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation is reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3. It is Black's move in the position shown.
It branches from the Indian Defense: Anti-Nimzo-Indian with 3… d5 4. Nc3.
How often it is played
The Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation and its variations appeared in 0.35% of games — 10,607 of 3,000,000 rated games sampled from Lichess in September 2026. That makes it number 120 of the openings listed here.
Results
White won 51%, 6.1% were drawn and Black won 43%. These are games between players of every strength and time control, so they say how the opening does in practice rather than how sound it is.
What the engine thinks
Stockfish, at depth 18, evaluates the position at +0.27 — a small edge for White. Positive numbers favour White; see reading the evaluation bar.
Similar openings
The most-played alternatives — what else could have been chosen around the move where this opening begins.
| Opening | Moves | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| Indian Defense: West Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 g6 | 0.98% |
| Nimzo-Indian Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 | 0.24% |
| Benoni Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 c5 | 0.24% |
Main continuations
| Variation | Moves | Share of games |
|---|---|---|
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 | 0.11% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Modern Variation, Normal Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 O-O 6. e3 | 0.05% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights, Vienna Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 dxc4 | 0.04% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 | 0.03% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Neo-Orthodox Variation, Main Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bg5 h6 6. Bh4 O-O 7. e3 | 0.02% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Barmen Variation | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Nbd7 | 0.01% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Two Knights Defense | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 Nbd7 | 0.00% |
| Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Main Line | 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 c5 7. dxc5 Bxc5 | 0.00% |
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