French Tarrasch Variation
You play White · 11 variations
Mixed practice
The machine picks a different variation every time.
Take a quiz
10 positions: find the next theory move in each. No take-backs, no hints.
Main variations · 7
- Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Main LineC091. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Ngf3 Nc6 6. Bb5 Bd6 7. dxc5 Bxc5 8. O-O Ne7 9. c39 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Advance LineC081. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Ngf3 c45 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Leningrad VariationC061. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nb68 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Botvinnik VariationC051. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 b66 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Pawn Center VariationC051. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f45 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny VariationC031. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. c3 dxe4 5. Nxe4 e55 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern LineC071. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 a610 moves
Other variations · 4
- Tarrasch Variation, Eliskases VariationC071. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd86 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Haberditz VariationC031. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 f53 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Modern SystemC031. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 a63 moves
- Tarrasch Variation, Morozevich VariationC031. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be73 moves
What is the French Tarrasch Variation?
The Tarrasch Variation is White's flexible answer to the French Defense: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2. Your knight goes to d2 instead of c3, so Black cannot pin it with ...Bb4 as in the Winawer, and your c-pawn stays free to support d4 with c3. The price is that the knight blocks your dark-squared bishop for a while and puts less pressure on d5. The Tarrasch is a solid, positional and fully mainstream system, popular with players who want a sound game without the sharpest French theory.
Main ideas and plans
Black's most important reply is the Open System with ...c5. After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.O-O Ne7 9.Nb3 you reach the Main Line, a classic fight against the isolated queen's pawn: you blockade d4 with a knight, exchange pieces and aim at d5 and a favourable endgame, while Black wants active pieces and kingside chances. If Black recaptures with the queen instead, as in the Chistyakov Defense and the Eliskases Variation, there is no isolated pawn, but you gain time on the queen. The Advance Line with ...c4 gains queenside space but releases the central tension.
The other main reply is the Closed Variation, 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4. You have a big centre and kingside space: your knights use e2 and f3, the e2 knight often heads for f4, and the d3 bishop aims at h7. Black counters against d4 with ...Qb6 and ...f6, and in the Leningrad Variation retreats a knight to b6 to control d5 and c4. In the Botvinnik Variation Black plays ...b6 to trade light-squared bishops, while the Pawn Center Variation is your sharper option with f4 supporting e5. Black's smaller systems include the Guimard Defense with ...Nc6, the Morozevich Variation with ...Be7, the Modern System with ...a6 and the rare Haberditz Variation with ...f5; against all of them, simple development with c3 works well.
Who is it for?
The Tarrasch suits players who like structure and clear plans more than heavy forcing theory. Many of its lines rely on understanding rather than memory. The downside is that Black has solid ways to equalise, especially in the Open System and the queen recapture lines, so you must be happy to grind with a small edge. Start with the blockade plan against the isolated d5 pawn and the typical piece placement in the Closed Variation, where your knights work on e2, f3 and f4 behind the pawn centre.