The Queen's Gambit is the most respected way to play 1.d4: offer the c-pawn to lure Black's central d-pawn off its post, and if Black declines, lean on the center for the next twenty moves. Despite the name, it's barely a gambit at all; if Black takes the pawn, you regain it comfortably.
This lesson follows the Queen's Gambit Declined main line to the classical pin setup with Bg5, the position that has anchored world championship matches for a hundred years. The London gives you comfort; the Queen's Gambit gives you the initiative, at the cost of knowing slightly more.
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Move 1 of 12
d4
Take the center with a pawn your queen already defends, the calmer sibling of 1.e4.
Common deviations