Queen's Gambit Declined:Ragozin Defense

Named after Viacheslav Ragozin: Black adds ...Bb4 in the spirit of the Nimzo-Indian.

It is reached after 8 moves: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4. It is a line of the Queen's Gambit Declined.

White is to move and has 29 legal moves. Over the next four moves — two for each side — the game can branch into 1,128,188 different games. Those games reach 387,514 different positions: most positions can be reached in more than one way, 2.9 on average.

The Lichess opening list names 3 further lines after this position, such as Alekhine Variation (5. Qa4+) and Vienna Variation (5. Bg5 dxc4).

The same moves can be played in 132 different legal orders that all reach this position. For example 1. c4 Nf6 2. d4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4, which starts as the English Opening.