Queen's Gambit Questions

OK, I've taken up the Queen's Gambit mostly in order to understand it better when I play black and I have some questions.

After 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c6 what should I play my fourth move? I'm debating between Qb3 and Bg5.

Why not the standard 4. Nc3 ?

I agree with Xanthos, don't you have some sort of book/database that tells you the main line? I'd just follow that for about 8-12 moves then leave the book.

Nc3 is rather weak statistically if compared to the other choices. bg5 scores almost 10% better and the average ELO of players using it is higher than for any other movev in that position. This leads me to believe that it is an inferior move. On the other hand, engines think it is best. Who am I to believe?

Originally posted by exigentsky
Nc3 is rather weak statistically if compared to the other choices. bg5 scores almost 10% better and the average ELO of players using it is higher than for any other movev in that position. This leads me to believe that it is an inferior move. On the other hand, engines think it is best. Who am I to believe?

I tried, but people don't cooperate. They always play some different line 🙁

If you played 3.Nc3 then you have the option of 4.e4.

i used to play Nc3, I'm finding Nf3 stronger, also helps to speed up castling which is a plus.

Originally posted by exigentsky
I tried, but people don't cooperate. They always play some different line 🙁

Play this sick line:

1. d4 d5
2. c4 c6
3. Nc3 e6
4. Nf3 Nf6
5. e3 Nbd7
6. Qc2!? Bd6
7. g4!?

4. Nc3 is the standard, and probably best move, regardless of what your database says. Look up 1. e4 c5 2. Na3. I think that has a pretty high percentage win, but is it good? Eff no.

if you would have read my previous posts on this idea, you would have CLEARLY understood that I don't just take the best scoring move from the database. I use careful engine analysis, I consider the average ELO of the players and the number of games played of course.

nvm

4. Nc3 is clearly the best move, played by all the best players. I would trust a top GM more than a computer in the opening phase of the game.

That's not even true. As I mentioned earlier, the BEST GMs you refer to actually play Bg5. This is the move chosen by players with the highest ELO and it scores a lot better than Nc3 also. Players using Nc3 (711 games, scoring 55😵 have an average ELO of 2418 while those using Bg5 (97 games, scoring 62😵 are averaged to 2490 according to Chessbase.

Of course, that doesn't automatically make Bg5 the best move, that's why I started this thread. But keep in mind that Nc3 is not the GM favourite atm.

4.Nc3 tends to invite the noteboom variation of the semi slav. Perhaps Bg5 is a way of preventing that line which black may be expert in.