the first and third began with the Queen's Gambit Declined. Black avoids 3...Nf6 After 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 (3.Nf3 is the main alternative, while other moves such as 3.cxd5 and 3.g3 are widely considered to be inferior), Black's main move is 3...Nf6, though he has other options as well: 3... c5, the Tarrasch Defense, if Black is willing to accept an . 3... Be7, the Alatortsev Variation. At top level, this has recently been played much more often than Nf6. Sometimes, this transposes to positions arising from 3...Nf6, and has the advantage, from Black's standpoint, of avoiding the insidious pressure of the main lines in the Exchange Variation arising after 3...Nf6 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Bg5. In many cases, the game will simply transpose into the main lines after 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.Bg5, or, White can now play 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bf4 c6 6. e3, when 6...Bf5 7.g4 became a topical line after its adoption by Mikhail Botvinnik in his 1963 title match with Tigran Petrosian. 6.Qc2 is also popular. These exchange lines are more popular than transposing at top level. 3... c6, usually signalling Black's intention to enter the Noteboom Variation after 4.Nf3 dxc4, or the Semi-Slav after 4...Nf6. White has alternatives to 4.Nf3 such as the Marshall Gambit 4.e4; or 4.e3 which may lead to the Stonewall Dutch after ...f5 or transpose to the Semi-Slav. 3... Bb4, known as the Accelerated Ragozin, intends to transpose to the Ragozin Variation although White has various options to avoid this transposition. For instance, one drawback with this move is that after the moves 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 Nf6 6.e3 it allows White to achieve the pawn structure seen in the game Botvinnik-Capablanca, AVRO 1938, which is often considered somewhat advantageous for white. 3... a6, the Janowski Variation, which gained some interest in 2021 after being adopted by World Champion Magnus Carlsen. The move threatens ...dxc4 followed by ...b5, attempting to hold on to the pawn. For this reason, White usually plays cxd5 first. Black plays 3...Nf6 Lines beginning with the moves 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 are covered by ECO codes D35–D69. These are old lines that can transpose into many other queen pawn openings. White has several ways of dealing with Black's setup: QGD Main Variations: 4.Bg5 Be7 5.Nf3 Tartakower Defense or Tartakower–Makogonov–Bondarevsky System (TMB system): 5... h6 6. Bh4 0-0 7. e3 b6, is one of the most solid continuations