{"id":12320,"date":"2024-02-25T18:15:37","date_gmt":"2024-02-25T18:15:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.365chess.com\/view\/?post_type=product&#038;p=12320"},"modified":"2026-06-27T12:01:27","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T12:01:27","slug":"queens-gambit-declined-with-im-milovan-ratkovic","status":"publish","type":"product","link":"https:\/\/www.365chess.com\/view\/shop\/queens-gambit-declined-with-im-milovan-ratkovic\/","title":{"rendered":"Queen&#8217;s Gambit Declined with IM Milovan Ratkovic"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"padding: 56.66% 0 0 0; position: relative;\"><iframe style=\"position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%;\" title=\"Queen's Gambit Declined\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/849124104?h=01204e9452&amp;badge=0&amp;autopause=0&amp;player_id=0&amp;app_id=58479\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><script src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/api\/player.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<h2>Learn the Queen&#8217;s Gambit Declined with IM Milovan Ratkovic<\/h2>\n<p>White plays d4. Black plays d5. White plays c4.<\/p>\n<p><em>What does Black do next? Capture or not?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>Should Black let go of the free pawn? Guess what, it is not a free pawn! By capturing the c-pawn, you are losing a tempo and that\u2019s what White wants.<\/p>\n<p>Instead, what you need to do next is\u2026\u00a0<strong>play 2\u2026e6<\/strong>!<\/p>\n<p>The Queen\u2019s Gambit Declined is one of the strongest responses to White\u2019s d4-c4 setup. It not only grabs the center for Black but also releases the dark-squared bishop into the game.<\/p>\n<p>What about the locking-in of the light-squared bishop, though? Black tries to exchange it off, or better yet, it is great for defensive purposes.<\/p>\n<p>What if White wants to go for the Modern or the Exchange variation in the QGD?<\/p>\n<p><em>What if White goes for the London system? Or the Catalan?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s where IM Milovan Ratkovic comes in with his latest course Queen\u2019s Gambit Declined \u2013 a 10+ hour video training focusing on refuting the best possible replies by White (including some tricky ones like the Catalan or the London).<\/p>\n<p>In this course, Ratkovic focuses on the less explored lines in the QGD where Black is most likely to struggle and lose to White \u2013 no more shooting arrows in the dark as Black!<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter \" src=\"https:\/\/videoapi-muybridge.vimeocdn.com\/animated-thumbnails\/image\/6b90bde7-01b1-4d6a-85e2-641a6b71ff4b.gif?ClientID=vimeo-core-prod&amp;Date=1690471584&amp;Signature=4a90d69eb7b48a69c498504962d469dd360105ee\" width=\"437\" height=\"300\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Here\u2019s what you are going to learn:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Piece exchanges simplified<\/strong>. In the 4.Nf6\/8.Bd3 variation, the game usually has a lot of piece exchanges. What should Black do? Trade-off the useless. Keep the good ones. And above all, follow Ratkovic\u2019s advice for a winning endgame advantage.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Lock the key squares<\/strong>. In some QGD positions, especially in the Alatortsev Variation, controlling the key squares makes or breaks the game. Ratkovic shows you which squares and diagonals to fight for, and how to control them.<\/li>\n<li><strong>White\u2019s 5.e3 setup<\/strong>. While White goes for the light squares, Black must focus on the dark squares\u2014with a knight on c6 and the dark-squared bishop on c5. The queen should come to c7 covering the c-file. Every piece staring at the enemy king.<\/li>\n<li><strong>White\u2019s London attack<\/strong>. White\u2019s f4-bishop usually falls back to g3. White has a solid control on the dark squares. As Black, challenge White\u2019s bishop right away. Fianchetto the light-squared bishop. What else?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Catalan sword broken<\/strong>. What is White\u2019s most vital minor piece in Catalan? The g2-bishop! That\u2019s what Black trades off right off the bat\u2026 by bringing his own light-squared bishop to b7. Learn how Black usually plays in this line.<\/li>\n<li><strong>White\u2019s tricky approaches<\/strong>. White may try something out of the ordinary, say 5.Nbd2 after 3.e3. The idea is to control the e4-square as well as defend the c4-pawn. Black usually needs to play precisely not to fall for any White\u2019s trap here.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Harrwitz Attack\u2019s awkward knight<\/strong>. Black usually tries to equalize by exchanging off the light-squared bishop\u2026 and gets his knight on the awkward a6-square. Black usually plays \u2026c5 to get it back into action. Ratkovic warns against a few White\u2019s moves though. Watch Chapters 9 and 10 for more.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter \" src=\"https:\/\/videoapi-muybridge.vimeocdn.com\/animated-thumbnails\/image\/dea0c37a-c7b0-4c1e-8a0b-d43352d3521a.gif?ClientID=vimeo-core-prod&amp;Date=1690471624&amp;Signature=9e361df59bcd883b46b309cc98aa6f1a935eb476\" width=\"440\" height=\"244\" \/><\/p>\n<h3><strong>About the Author:\u00a0<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><strong>IM Milovan Ratkovic (FIDE 2411)<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>is a Serbian International Master and chess coach. Some of his top students were able to reach 2400 and 2300 Elo respectively. IM Ratkovic is an active tournament player and one of his near-future goals is obtaining the Grandmaster title.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Outline:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Chapter 1 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 8.Bd3 I<br \/>\nChapter 2 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 8.Bd3 II<br \/>\nChapter 3 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 8.Be2<br \/>\nChapter 4 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 8.cxd5<br \/>\nChapter 5 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 8.Rc1<br \/>\nChapter 6 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 8.Qc2&amp;Qb3<br \/>\nChapter 7 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 6.Bxf6 I<br \/>\nChapter 8 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 6.Bxf6 II<br \/>\nChapter 9 Alatortsev Variation, Harrwitz Attack I<br \/>\nChapter 10 Alatortsev Variation, Harrwitz Attack II<br \/>\nChapter 11 Alatortsev Variation, 5.e3 Variation<br \/>\nChapter 12 Alatortsev Variation, 4.Nf3 5.Qc2 &amp; cxd5<br \/>\nChapter 13 Against Catalan I<br \/>\nChapter 14 Against Catalan II<br \/>\nChapter 15 Against Catalan III<br \/>\nChapter 16 Alatortsev Variation, 4.cxd5 I<br \/>\nChapter 17 Alatortsev Variation, 4.cxd5 II<br \/>\nChapter 18 Alatortsev Variation, 4.cxd5 III<br \/>\nChapter 19 Against the London System<br \/>\nChapter 20 Unusual Lines I<br \/>\nChapter 21 Unusual Lines II<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IM Milovan Ratkovic comes in with his latest course Queen&#8217;s Gambit Declined &#8211; a 10+ hour video training focusing on refuting the best possible replies by White (including some tricky ones like the Catalan or the London).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":31377,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v16.2 - 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