Tarrasch Defence
The Tarrasch Defence is a chess opening characterized by the moves:
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5
The Tarrasch is a variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined.
With his third move, Black makes an aggressive bid for central space. After White plays cxd5 and dxc5, Black will be left with an isolated pawn on d5. Such a pawn may be weak, since it can no longer be defended by other pawns: but it grants Black a foothold in the center and Black’s bishops will have unobstructed lines for development.
The opening was advocated by the German master Siegbert Tarrasch. Although many other masters, after the teachings of Wilhelm Steinitz, rejected the Tarrasch Defence out of hand because of the pawn weakness, Tarrasch continued to play his opening while rejecting other variations of the Queen’s gambit, even to the point of putting question marks on routine moves in all variations except the Tarrasch (which he awarded an exclamation mark) in his book Die moderne Schachpartie.
The Tarrasch Defence is considered sound. Even if Black fails to make use of his mobility and winds up in an inferior endgame, tied to the defense of his isolated pawn, he may be able to hold the draw if he defends accurately.
| Opening Name | Chess Notation | MICOS Code | MICOS CAP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarrasch Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 | D05.001.TA | |
| Schara Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4 | D05.002.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Von Hennig Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 cxd4 5.Qxd4 Nc6 6.Qd1 exd5 7.Qxd5 Be6 | D05.003.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Tarrasch Defence: 4...exd5 | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 | D05.004.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Tarrasch Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.dxc5 d4 6.Na4 b5 | D05.005.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Marshall Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.e4 | D05.006.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Two Knights Attack | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 | D05.007.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Grunfeld Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.dxc5 d4 7.Na4 b5 | D05.008.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Rubinstein System | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 | D05.009.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Swedish Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 c4 | D05.010.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Swedish Defence: Central Break Attack | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 c4 7.e4 | D05.011.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Prague Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 | D05.012.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Prague Defence: 7…Be7 | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 | D05.013.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 | D05.014.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Carlsbad Attack | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 | D05.015.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Endgame | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 Be6 | D05.016.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Stoltz Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 Be6 10.Rc1 b6 | D05.017.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Bogoljubow Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 Be6 10.Rc1 c4 | D05.018.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Advance Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 c4 | D05.019.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Spassky Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Bg4 | D05.020.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: 11…Re8 | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8 | D05.021.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Chandler Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 h6 11.Be3 Re8 12.Rc1 Be6 | D05.022.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Petursson Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.Bg5 cxd4 10.Nxd4 Re8 | D05.023.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Reti Attack | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.Na4 | D05.024.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Classical Defence: Tarrasch Gambit | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.0-0 0-0 9.dxc5 d4 | D05.025.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Wagner Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 Bg4 | D05.026.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Dubov Tarrasch Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3 Nf6 7.Bg2 cxd4 8.Nxd4 Bc5 | D05.027.TA | Explore ▶ |
| Symmetrical Defence | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.e3 Nf6 5.Nf3 Nc6 | D05.028.TA | Explore ▶ |
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