Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Carlsbad Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5
The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Carlsbad Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D34, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5. It is a line of the Tarrasch Defense. Black is to move. 5 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 34 times by this move order. White won 50%, 15% were drawn and Black won 35%. The most popular continuation is 9… c4 (41% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.13 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 9… c4 10. Ne5 Be6 11. f4 Ng4 12. Nxg4)
- ECO
- D34
- Moves
- 17 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/2n2n2/2pp2B1/3P4/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R2Q1RK1 b - - 6 9- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 4 | |
| 2000+ | 30 | |
| All | 34 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 9… c4 Classical Variation, Advance Variation | 14 (41%) | |
| 9… cxd4 | 12 (35%) | |
| 9… Be6 Classical Variation, Endgame Variation | 6 (18%) | |
| 9… a6 | 1 (3%) | |
| 9… h6 | 1 (3%) |
Master games
47 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 37%, Black 23%). The strongest:
- GM Nikola Sedlak (2571) – GM Slavisa Brenjo (2499) 1/2-1/2 · TCh-MNE Prem 2013 · 2013-07-02
- GM Alexander Rustemov (2525) – GM Nikolozi Kacharava (2522) 1-0 · Titled Tue 16th Jul Late · 2024-07-16
- GM Velimir Ivic (2628) – GM Goran M Todorovic (2340) 1-0 · ch-SRB Blitz 2022 · 2022-06-05
- IM Mishra Swayams (2465) – IM Shah Sagar (2433) 1/2-1/2 · Maharashtra TCh-IND League · 2016-06-11
- GM Evgeny A. Levin (2516) – IM Timur Khakimov (2303) 1/2-1/2 · Chigorin Memorial · 2012-10-28
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Stock-84 (2538) – Boreminator (2514) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- SchhW (2510) – Boreminator (2533) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 0s
- Ergeshov_Timur (2501) – DLR_CH_1 (2534) 1-0 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O
Continuations
- Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Advance Variation D34 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 c4
- Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Endgame Variation D34 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 Be6
- Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Petursson Variation D34 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Re8
- Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line D34 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6 11. Be3 Re8
- Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Spassky Variation D34 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6 11. Be3 Bg4
More Tarrasch Defense lines (all)
- Tarrasch Defense D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Grünfeld Gambit D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Marshall Gambit D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Schara Gambit D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation (5. Nf3 Nc6) D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation (6. cxd5 exd5) D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Tarrasch Gambit D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Two Knights Variation D32
- Tarrasch Defense: von Hennig Gambit D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Dubov Tarrasch D33
- Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation D33
- Tarrasch Defense: Rubinstein System D33
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.