Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Primitive Pillsbury Variation

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO D50), reached after 11 half-moves: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 c5 5. Nf3 cxd4 6. Qxd4.

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: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, Primitive Pillsbury Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code D50. 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 11 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 c5 5. Nf3 cxd4 6. Qxd4.

It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family. Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation → Primitive Pillsbury Variation line). The immediate parent line is Queen's Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation, transitioned via 6.Qxd4.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.d4 d5, 2.c4 e6, 3.Nc3 Nf6, 4.Bg5 c5, 5.Nf3 cxd4, 6.Qxd4. 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.