Library/Openings/Queen's Gambit Declined/Lasker Defense/Russian Variation ECO D56
Opening· 26 plies

Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Russian Variation

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO D56), reached after 26 half-moves: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 h6 7. Bh4 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Qc2 Nf6 10. Bd3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 c5 12. O-O Nc6 13. Rfd1 Bd7.

Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, Russian Variation ECO D56
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Black rook
Black rook
Black king
Black pawn
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Black bishop
Black queen
Black pawn
Black pawn
Black knight
Black pawn
Black knight
Black pawn
Black pawn
White bishop
White pawn
White knight
White pawn
White knight
White pawn
White pawn
White queen
White pawn
White pawn
White pawn
White rook
White rook
White king
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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: Lasker Defense, Russian Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code D56. 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 26 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e3 O-O 6. Nf3 h6 7. Bh4 Ne4 8. Bxe7 Qxe7 9. Qc2 Nf6 10. Bd3 dxc4 11. Bxc4 c5 12. O-O Nc6 13. Rfd1 Bd7.

It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family. Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Lasker Defense → Russian Variation line). The immediate parent line is Queen's Gambit Declined: Lasker Defense, transitioned via 13…Bd7.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.d4 d5, 2.c4 e6, 3.Nc3 Nf6, 4.Bg5 Be7, 5.e3 O-O, 6.Nf3 h6. 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.