French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. c3
The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line is a chess opening classified as ECO C07, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. c3. It is a line of the French Defense. Black is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 1,559 times by this move order. White won 48%, 5% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 4… Nc6 (54% of games).
Engine evaluation: −0.09 (Stockfish, depth 49; best line 4… dxe4 5. Nxe4 cxd4 6. cxd4 Bb4+ 7. Nc3)
- ECO
- C07
- Moves
- 7 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp3ppp/4p3/2pp4/3PP3/2P5/PP1N1PPP/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 0 4- PGN
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. c3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 150 | |
| 1500-1999 | 986 | |
| 2000+ | 423 | |
| All | 1,559 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 4… Nc6 | 843 (54%) | |
| 4… cxd4 | 427 (27%) | |
| 4… Nf6 | 79 (5%) | |
| 4… Qb6 | 74 (5%) | |
| 4… dxe4 | 47 (3%) | |
| 4… c4 | 44 (3%) | |
| 4… Bd7 | 13 (1%) | |
| 4… a6 | 13 (1%) |
Master games
694 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 35%, draw 18%, Black 47%). The strongest:
- GM Dariusz Swiercz (2627) – GM Daniel Fridman (2616) 0-1 · ch-POL Rapid 2014 · 2014-04-13
- GM Bartlomiej Heberla (2531) – GM Francisco Vallejo Pons (2689) 0-1 · Bundesliga 2015-16 · 2016-04-24
- GM Levan Pantsulaia (2563) – GM Mikheil Mchedlishvili (2645) 1/2-1/2 · 6th Mayors Cup 2013 · 2013-06-02
- GM Bartlomiej Heberla (2544) – GM Bartosz Socko (2654) 1-0 · ch-POL 2014 · 2014-03-28
- IM George-Catalin Ardelean (2496) – GM Igor Lysyj (2661) 0-1 · Iasi Open 2014 · 2014-05-15
Highest-rated Lichess games
- aravindArz (2511) – Cartaginensis (2579) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- MihailRodin (2526) – Bitcoinchef3 (2565) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- MihailRodin (2501) – VoinTeka (2544) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System (3. Nd2 c5) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5
More French Defense lines (all)
- French Defense (1. e4 e6) C00
- French Defense (2. d4 d5) C00
- French Defense: Alapin Gambit C00
- French Defense: Baeuerle Gambit C00
- French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit C00
- French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit, Pinova Gambit C00
- French Defense: Bird Invitation C00
- French Defense: Carlson Gambit C00
- French Defense: Chigorin Variation C00
- French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit C00
- French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit Accepted C00
- French Defense: Franco-Hiva Gambit C00
Opening names and moves from the Lichess openings dataset; statistics from the Lichess open database, 2026-09 (CC0), sample of 12.6 million games, bots excluded; evaluations from Lichess cloud analysis (all CC0). Master games from The Week in Chess #920–#1664 by Mark Crowther, used with permission.