QGD: 4.Bg5 Bb4 - Ragozin Variation
QGD: 4.Bg5 Bb4 (Ragozin Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined)
Definition
The sequence of moves 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 is a dynamic branch of the Queen’s Gambit Declined (QGD). By answering White’s pin 4.Bg5 with the counter-pin 4…Bb4, Black steers play into the Ragozin Variation. The position may also arise from the move order 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 Bb4 5. Bg5, but the strategic content is identical: both sides have pinned knights, the centre is tense, and early imbalances are encouraged.
Strategic Purpose and Typical Ideas
- Black’s Concept
- Pin the c3-knight, undermining the defender of d4.
- Develop pieces rapidly; the light-squared bishop is placed actively rather than remaining passive on c8.
- Aim for …c7-c5 or …dxc4, striking in the centre before White consolidates.
- Create middlegames with an isolated queen’s pawn (IQP) or hanging pawns, positions that promise counter-play.
- White’s Ambition
- Maintain the central pawn duo on d4 and c4.
- Exploit the mutual pins: moves such as Qb3, Qa4+, or e3–e4 can increase pressure on Black’s set-up.
- Preserve the Bg5 bishop; exchanging it for the f6-knight often benefits Black’s structure.
Main Continuations
- 5.e3
The most flexible move. 5…c5 is the traditional reply, after which play can transpose to IQP structures:
. - 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3
White gives up structural purity (doubled c-pawns) to obtain the bishop pair and extra space.
- 5.Nf3 dxc4
Black grabs the c-pawn; after 6.e4 c5, the struggle revolves around the centre and piece activity.
- 5.Qa4+ Nc6 6.e3
An early queen check forces Black’s knight to c6, slightly restricting …c7-c5 breaks but committing another piece to the pin.
Historical Background
The line is named after Viacheslav Ragozin (1908-1962), Soviet grandmaster and World Championship second to Botvinnik. Ragozin championed the early …Bb4 idea in the 1930s–40s, seeking a more combative antidote to the solid Orthodox QGD. Modern elite players—Anand, Carlsen, Ding Liren, Aronian, and Giri—keep the variation in regular use, valuing its blend of solidity and dynamism.
Illustrative Game (abridged)
Magnus Carlsen – Viswanathan Anand, World Championship (Game 9), Sochi 2014
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 Bb4 5.Bg5 h6 6.Bh4 dxc4
7.e4 g5 8.Bg3 Nxe4 9.Qc2 f5 10.Bxc4 (complex middlegame, White won 47 moves)
Typical Middlegame Themes
- IQP Play: After …c5 and an eventual exchange on d4, Black often accepts an isolated pawn on d5 to unleash active pieces.
- Minor-Piece Imbalances: The exchange Bxf6 can double Black’s f-pawns, producing contrasting long-term weaknesses and bishop-pair strengths.
- Central Breaks: White eyes e2-e4; Black counters with …c5 or …e5, timing is everything.
Common Traps
- 5.Qa4+?! Nc6 6.e3?! e5!
Black exploits the pin on c3 to seize central space; careless play can already give Black the initiative.
- 5.e3 c5 6.cxd5? Qxd5!
Now 7.Bxf6? loses to 7…cxd4, forking queen and bishop.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- The Ragozin sits at the crossroads of several openings: change one move and it becomes a Nimzo-Indian, Bogo-Indian, or Orthodox QGD.
- In 2019 the variation was the most popular response to 4.Bg5 at top-level events, eclipsing the traditional 4…Be7.
- Emanuel Lasker toyed with the idea of …Bb4 against Bg5 as early as 1899, but it was Ragozin’s systematic investigations that made it mainstream.
- The dual pin motif (Bg5 and …Bb4) makes the line a favourite in instructional material on tactics involving relative pins and absolute pins.
When to Choose the Line
Pick the 4…Bb4 Ragozin if you want
- An opening that is strategically sound yet offers winning chances against well-prepared opponents.
- Positions rich in piece activity and tactical possibilities rather than long manoeuvring battles.
- Flexibility—depending on White’s reaction, Black can steer play toward IQP structures, hanging pawns, or Catalan-style endgames.