The
Janowski
Variation of the
Queen's
Gambit Declined arises after
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 a6. Black plays
...a6to prepare the queenside expansion
...b5, aiming to challenge White's c4 pawn and gain
space. The idea was introduced by the Polish-French grandmaster
Dawid Janowski around the turn of the 20
th century.
Compared with
classical QGD lines, this variation is less theoretical and offers flexible
development for Black. White usually responds by strengthening the center and
preventing
...b5,
often with moves like
a4,
Nf3, or
cxd5. The resulting positions typically feature a
strategic battle between
White's central control and Black's queenside expansion.