Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Orthodox Defense

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO D37), reached after 12 half-moves: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 c6.

Black rook — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

Black knight — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

End of this line

No further variations branch from this position in our database. To explore neighbouring ideas:

About this opening

Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, Orthodox Defense is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code D37. ECO group D (D00–D99) covers closed games and semi-closed games beginning 1.d4 d5, covering the Queen's Gambit, Slav, Grünfeld and related queen-pawn structures. This particular variation is reached after 12 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Nf3 Be7 5. Bf4 O-O 6. e3 c6.

It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family. Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Harrwitz Attack → Orthodox Defense line). The immediate parent line is Queen's Gambit Declined: Harrwitz Attack, transitioned via 6…c6.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.d4 d5, 2.c4 e6, 3.Nc3 Nf6, 4.Nf3 Be7, 5.Bf4 O-O, 6.e3 c6. From this position the encyclopaedia records no further canonical continuations — practical play branches into unnamed transpositions or returns to the parent line for alternative ideas.