How to beat the Queen's Gambit, by the numbers (2,214 top-player games)
Quick answer
What's the best defence against the Queen's Gambit? No single defence beat the Queen's Gambit on both sites. The two most-played defences, the Queen's Gambit Declined (2...e6) and the Semi-Slav, were about level with the Black average on Lichess (QGD 62% in 237, ±0; Semi-Slav 61% in 175, -1) but below it on Chess.com (QGD 62% in 206, -5; Semi-Slav 63% in 110, -4). The Slav (2...c6) was the best main defence on Chess.com from both sides: top players scored 71% in 58 (+4) with it as Black and only 61% in 68 (-12) with White against it. On Lichess it didn't hold up: 61% in 110 (-1) as Black, and White scored 73% in 106 (+6) against it. So play the solid defence you know best, and prepare for your opponent's set-up, especially the Catalan (g3), which scored above average for White on both sites (76% in 105 on Chess.com, +3; 74% in 96 on Lichess, +7). Fast games, and different players chose different lines, so read it as a strong hint, not proof.
The Queen's Gambit (1.d4 d5 2.c4) is the classical way to meet 1...d5, and it often arrives by another move order (1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5, 1.Nf3 d5 2.d4, 1.c4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4). We sorted every Queen's Gambit position in our two samples by what Black actually played, move by move: 926 games among the top 50 Chess.com blitz players and 1,288 among the top 100 titled Lichess players. It was about 33% of the 1.d4 games the Chess.com players had as Black, and 22% on Lichess. Score means points per game for the top player (win 1, draw ½). Compare with their averages (67% with Black and 73% with White on Chess.com, 62% and 67% on Lichess), not with 50%.
Short answer
- Overall, the Queen's Gambit is a fair fight. Top Chess.com blitz players scored 64% in 462 games (3 points below their 67% average) as Black against it; titled Lichess players 62% in 638 games (right on their 62% average). With White they scored 70% in 521 games (3 points below their 73% average) on Chess.com and 69% in 698 games (2 points above their 67% average) on Lichess.
- No main defence was ahead on both sites. The two most-played defences, the Queen's Gambit Declined (2...e6) and the Semi-Slav, were about level with the Black average on Lichess (QGD 62% in 237, ±0; Semi-Slav 61% in 175, -1) but below it on Chess.com (QGD 62% in 206, -5; Semi-Slav 63% in 110, -4).
- The Slav (2...c6) split the two sites. Chess.com: 71% in 58 (+4) as Black, White 61% in 68 (-12) against it. Lichess: 61% in 110 (-1) as Black, White 73% in 106 (+6) against it.
- The Accepted (2...dxc4) and the Tarrasch were rare at the top. QGA: 70% in 23 (+3, a hint) as Black on Chess.com, 62% in 30 (±0, a hint) on Lichess. Tarrasch: 65% in 36 (-2, a hint) and 65% in 30 (+3, a hint). All hints.
- The offbeat replies were rare and mixed. Chigorin, Baltic and Albin together: as Black 69% in 18 (+2, a hint) on Chess.com and 70% in 30 (+8, a hint) on Lichess; White facing them 74% in 29 (+1, a hint) and 49% in 44 (-18, a hint).
- The Catalan (g3) was White's best set-up on both sites. White scored 76% in 105 (+3) with it on Chess.com and 74% in 96 (+7) on Lichess. Black's results against it split: 52% in 113 (-15) on Chess.com, 70% in 108 (+8) on Lichess.
1. Every defence against the Queen's Gambit
Black's defence is read from Black's first five moves: Accepted = ...dxc4 before ...e6 or ...c6; Slav = ...c6 without ...e6; Semi-Slav = both; Declined = ...e6 without ...c6 or ...c5; Tarrasch = ...e6 and ...c5. Sorted by how often it came up. Each cell is the top player's score and the gap to their average; under 50 games is a hint, under 8 is too few to read.
| Black's defence | Chess.com top 50 playing it as Black (avg 67%) | Chess.com top 50 with White facing it (avg 73%) | Lichess titled playing it as Black (avg 62%) | Lichess titled with White facing it (avg 67%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queen's Gambit Declined (...e6) | 62% in 206 (-5) | 70% in 252 (-3) | 62% in 237 (±0) | 70% in 261 (+3) |
| Semi-Slav (...c6 and ...e6) | 63% in 110 (-4) | 72% in 98 (-1) | 61% in 175 (-1) | 69% in 157 (+2) |
| Slav (...c6, no ...e6) | 71% in 58 (+4) | 61% in 68 (-12) | 61% in 110 (-1) | 73% in 106 (+6) |
| Tarrasch (...e6 and ...c5) | 65% in 36 (-2), hint | 68% in 38 (-5), hint | 65% in 30 (+3), hint | 82% in 56 (+15) |
| Queen's Gambit Accepted (...dxc4) | 70% in 23 (+3), hint | 79% in 29 (+6), hint | 62% in 30 (±0), hint | 62% in 45 (-5), hint |
| Other defences | 50% in 11 (-17), hint | 7 games, too few | 54% in 26 (-8), hint | 72% in 29 (+5), hint |
| Chigorin (...Nc6) | 6 games, too few | 83% in 12 (+10), hint | 64% in 18 (+2), hint | 53% in 33 (-14), hint |
| Baltic (...Bf5) | 59% in 11 (-8), hint | 65% in 13 (-8), hint | 75% in 10 (+13), hint | 6 games, too few |
2. Hold d5, take on c4, or counterattack?
The same games grouped by Black's basic choice. Rows under 50 games are hints.
| Black's approach | Chess.com top 50 as Black (avg 67%) | Chess.com top 50 with White facing it (avg 73%) | Lichess titled as Black (avg 62%) | Lichess titled with White facing it (avg 67%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hold d5 (QGD, Slav, Semi-Slav, Tarrasch) | 64% in 410 (-3) | 69% in 456 (-4) | 62% in 552 (±0) | 71% in 580 (+4) |
| Take on c4 (QGA) | 70% in 23 (+3), hint | 79% in 29 (+6), hint | 62% in 30 (±0), hint | 62% in 45 (-5), hint |
| Sharp sidelines (Albin, Chigorin, Baltic) | 69% in 18 (+2), hint | 74% in 29 (+1), hint | 70% in 30 (+8), hint | 49% in 44 (-18), hint |
3. What White played: Catalan, early exchange and the rest
Catalan = g3 in White's first five moves; early exchange = cxd5 in White's first five moves; everything else (Nc3 and Bg5, Nf3 and e3, Bf4) is "other". Same columns: the top player as Black facing that set-up, then the top player with White playing it.
| White's set-up | Chess.com top 50 as Black facing it (avg 67%) | Chess.com top 50 with White playing it (avg 73%) | Lichess titled as Black facing it (avg 62%) | Lichess titled with White playing it (avg 67%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other set-ups (Nc3/Nf3, Bg5, e3...) | 67% in 215 (±0) | 68% in 292 (-5) | 59% in 322 (-3) | 67% in 346 (±0) |
| Early exchange (cxd5) | 71% in 134 (+4) | 71% in 124 (-2) | 62% in 208 (±0) | 71% in 256 (+4) |
| Catalan (g3) | 52% in 113 (-15) | 76% in 105 (+3) | 70% in 108 (+8) | 74% in 96 (+7) |
4. How to choose your defence
- You want one solid set-up: the Queen's Gambit Declined (...e6, ...Nf6, ...Be7, ...O-O) or the Semi-Slav. They're the most-played answers at the top and stayed close to the Black average on Lichess, but neither "beats" the Queen's Gambit, so know the plan: free your game with ...c5 or ...dxc4 and ...c5, and decide where the c8 bishop goes early.
- You play mostly on Chess.com and like the bishop outside the pawn chain: the Slav (2...c6 and ...Bf5) was the best main defence there from both sides. Expect 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 and know your answer to 4.e3.
- Against the Catalan (g3): it was White's best-scoring set-up in both samples. Have a simple answer ready (for example ...dxc4 and ...a6/...b5, or a closed ...c6 set-up) rather than improvising.
- Against the Exchange (cxd5): White scored 71% in 124 (-2) with it on Chess.com and 71% in 256 (+4) on Lichess; Black 71% in 134 (+4) and 62% in 208 (±0). Recapture with the e-pawn, put the bishop on d6 or f5 and know the minority attack (White's b4-b5).
- Surprise weapons (Chigorin 2...Nc6, Baltic 2...Bf5, Albin 2...e5): rare and mixed. Titled Lichess players facing them as White scored only 49% in 44 (-18, a hint), but the top Chess.com blitzers scored 74% in 29 (+1, a hint) against them. Fine as a one-off against an opponent you know is booked up in the main lines, not as a whole repertoire.
- Full plans and a line to play are in the Queen's Gambit guide, plus the Queen's Gambit Declined and Slav Defense guides.
5. What matters more than the line
- Your opponent's White set-up. 1.d4 players usually have one pet system (Catalan, Exchange, Bg5 lines or the London) and they repeat it. Check before the game: the free opponent preview shows any Chess.com or Lichess player's most-played openings with each colour, and the full report shows the exact lines where they score worst.
More from the same data: the best chess openings for Black, the best response to the London System, how to beat the Sicilian Defense, how to beat the French Defense, how to beat the Caro-Kann and the best chess openings for White.
Method: Chess.com sample is the top 50 of the Chess.com live blitz leaderboard on 2026-10-20, each player's most recent rated standard blitz games (up to 150, at most six monthly archives) from the public Chess.com Published-Data API, games played 2026-03-21 to 2026-10-20. Lichess sample is the last 150 rated games of the top 100 titled players on the Lichess leaderboards (2026-10-18). Queen's Gambit = within the first five moves each, White has played d4 and c4 and Black ...d5, without ...g6, ...Bb4, ...c5, ...e5, ...b6 or ...d6 before ...d5 (those are Grünfeld, Nimzo, Bogo, Benoni and other set-ups); transpositions count. Systems are read from the moves, not the opening name. A game between two sampled players counts once per sampled player. Rows under 50 games are hints; headline claims need 50+ games except where marked. OpeningSpy is independent and not affiliated with Chess.com or Lichess.