Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense (4. Nc3 c5)
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5
The Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO D40, reached after 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5. It is a line of the Queen's Gambit Declined. White is to move. 1 named line continues from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 425 times by this move order. White won 49%, 7% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 5. cxd5 (51% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.16 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 5. cxd5 cxd4 6. Qxd4 exd5 7. Bg5 Be7)
- ECO
- D40
- Moves
- 8 plies
- FEN
rnbqkb1r/pp3ppp/4pn2/2pp4/2PP4/2N2N2/PP2PPPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 5- PGN
1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 35 | |
| 1500-1999 | 192 | |
| 2000+ | 198 | |
| All | 425 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5. cxd5 Semi-Tarrasch Defense (4… c5 5. cxd5) | 215 (51%) | |
| 5. Bg5 | 89 (21%) | |
| 5. e3 | 81 (19%) | |
| 5. Bf4 | 14 (3%) | |
| 5. dxc5 | 13 (3%) | |
| 5. g3 | 8 (2%) | |
| 5. Be3 | 1 (0%) | |
| 5. Bd2 | 1 (0%) |
Master games
485 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 42%, draw 35%, Black 23%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2862) – GM So, W. (2770) 1/2-1/2 · Skilling Open KO 2020 · 2020-11-30
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2872) – GM Leinier Dominguez Perez (2758) 1/2-1/2 · World Rapid 2019 · 2019-12-28
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2842) – GM So, W. (2780) 1/2-1/2 · 6th Sinquefield Cup 2018 · 2018-08-22
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2847) – GM So, W. (2770) 1-0 · FTX Crypto Cup KO 2021 · 2021-05-31
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2870) – GM Pentala Harikrishna (2731) 1-0 · Tata Steel India Blitz · 2019-11-26
Search all games of the Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- NM Andrey11976 (2792) – BILLYS10 (2753) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- NM Andrey11976 (2794) – BILLYS10 (2748) 1-0 · 2026-09-07 · 180 + 0s
- NM Andrey11976 (2800) – NameTheGame (2718) 1-0 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Queen's Gambit Declined: Three Knights Variation (3… d5 4. Nc3) 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3
Continuations
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense (4… c5 5. cxd5) D41 · 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 d5 4. Nc3 c5 5. cxd5
More Queen's Gambit Declined lines (all)
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Slav D02
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Attack, Salvio Countergambit D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Gusev Countergambit D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Austrian Defense, Haberditz Variation D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Argentinian Gambit D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Pseudo-Chigorin D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Queen Attack D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Baltic Defense, Queen Attack Deferred D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense D06
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Marshall Defense, Tan Gambit D06
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.