Queen's Gambit

Just thought I would post this because of how often this exact position occurs in my games.

The Queen's Gambit is quickly becoming one of my favorite openings, especially when I get into the old accepted variation. More often than not, I find myself winning early on because my opponents tend to overlook some positional details.

Of course, you cannot rely on traps to work, but this opening generally offers a low/no-risk trap that can easily catch someone off guard if they're not careful, especially if they spend most of their time on non-d4 openings. If anything, it's something to watch out for if you're playing black ;)

I've never been fond of this set-up since you're essentially "playing down" rather than up. What do I mean? Well, your reasoning (I assume) of playing 3.e3 is the hope that your opponent is a patzer and you want a quick win. Thats fine and all, but you're giving better players the additional option of playing 3...e5 which leads to a comfortable IQP position for black. On the flip side, 3. Nf3 prevents this.
 

Some players may take the pawn...but other players may not.

If they don't, what are you to do?

Kaluki: Though after 3...e5, white has the option of 4.Bxc4...
The position is still very playable, which is why 3.e3 is still the third most popular move in Accepted variations (according to the last database I have checked). My point is not to play this position with the hope that black will make the same mistakes shown; my point is that this is a perfectly acceptable line to play and that my opponents, more often than not, will make the same exact mistakes, which makes this opening an option worth looking at.

bishop: If they don't, then you play accordingly. I'm assuming you're speaking of them not playing 5...cxb5, in which case I can tell you that the database I mentioned shows white winning 92.7% of 41 games where 5.axb5... is played. Black's best option, in my opinion, is 5...e5, which makes the game highly positional (typical of queen's pawn games). It can be a tricky position, I won't lie, but white still appears to come out with an advantage (assuming proper play).

(To both): This post isn't meant to argue that this is the best opening in chess. It's just meant to show a relatively popular opening that has a nifty little trap. Especially to help those who are less familiar with it to avoid getting themselves into the trap themselves. After all, it does no good for a chess player to only study good positions.

3...e5 is generally regarded as the best way to meet 3.e3.  It is why 3.Nf3 is regarded as the best move order.  But IMO White should be happy to play the IQP game after 4.Bxc4 exd4 5.exd4 because he hasn't had to waste a tempo with his KB.

Compare to the French Monte Carlo variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4, where 4...dxc4 is not the most accurate move, as by delaying this Black can usually wait for White to play Bd3, only then taking on c4.

There seems to be the impression that I feel black is better after 3...e5 and I don't; If I remember correctly I believe white has a slight edge in the position if he plays correctly (actively). What I am saying is that I personally cringe when I see people playing 3. e3 over 3. Nf3 because they want to trap patzers with no regard as to whether they want to play the IQP position resulting from 3... e5.

Play 3. e3 because you enjoy the resulting IQP position, play 3. e3 because you do not like the Bg4 lines of the QGA, but do not play 3. e3 because you want to beat players inferior to you; that'll stunt your growth.
 

+1.  The fact that 3.e3 wins a rook against sub-900 opponents should be a side benefit of the move, not a main selling point.