D38 · Queen's Gambit Declined

Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, Alekhine Variation

1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+
♜♞♝♛♚♜♟♟♟♟♟♟♟♞♟♛♝♟♟♞♞♟♟♟♟♟♟♜♝♚♝♜
The position after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+, Black to move.

In the Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, Alekhine Variation, aim to understand the plans and pawn structures, not just memorize the first moves.

See how you play it

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, Alekhine Variation is a chess opening classified under ECO code D38. It is reached after the moves 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Qa4+: 9 moves in, with Black to play.

It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family — one of many ways the line can branch. Understanding the parent system’s plans is the fastest way to play this variation well.

Club players rarely lose the Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, Alekhine Variation in the opening itself. They lose it a few moves later, when the plan behind the moves runs out: that is what reading your own games in this line shows you.

Play the Queen's Gambit Declined: Ragozin Defense, Alekhine Variation? See where you go wrong.
Deepline reviews your real games, finds the exact moves that cost you, and trains the fixes.
Analyze my games free →

Related openings

Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-SlavQueen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Attack, Salvio CountergambitQueen's Gambit Declined: Austrian DefenseQueen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Gusev CountergambitQueen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Haberditz VariationQueen's Gambit Declined: Baltic DefenseQueen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Argentinian GambitQueen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-ChigorinQueen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Queen AttackQueen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Queen Attack Deferred

See how you play this opening