Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Classical Tarrasch Gambit
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. dxc5 d4
The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Classical Tarrasch Gambit 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. dxc5 d4. It is a line of the Tarrasch Defense. White is to move.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 6 times by this move order. White won 17%, 0% were drawn and Black won 83%. The most popular continuation is 10. Na4 (67% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.59 (Stockfish, depth 30; best line 10. Na4 Bf5 11. b4 d3 12. b5 Nb4)
- ECO
- D34
- Moves
- 18 plies
- FEN
r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/2n2n2/2P5/3p4/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 0 10- 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. dxc5 d4
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1500-1999 | 1 | |
| 2000+ | 5 | |
| All | 6 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 10. Na4 | 4 (67%) | |
| 10. Nb5 | 1 (17%) | |
| 10. Bg5 | 1 (17%) |
Master games
26 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 46%, draw 12%, Black 42%). The strongest:
- GM Boris Chatalbashev (2535) – GM Ivan Sokolov (2690) 0-1 · 2nd Indonesia Open · 2012-10-16
- GM Igor Kovalenko (2684) – GM Branko Tadic (2472) 0-1 · PRO League Group Stage · 2017-02-22
- GM Aleksandr Volodin (2481) – GM Sarunas Sulskis (2537) 1-0 · TCh-FIN SM 2013-14 · 2013-10-12
- GM Viktorija Cmilyte (2528) – IM Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (2405) 1/2-1/2 · 17th European Club Cup w · 2012-10-13
- IM Alisa Galliamova (2468) – IM Ekaterina Kovalevskaya (2409) 1-0 · FIDE WCh Women World Cup · 2012-11-13
Highest-rated Lichess games
- FM PJatoba (2384) – Saillok (2447) 0-1 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 2s
- I_hate_chess10 (2304) – furkancelebi (2336) 0-1 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
- rezoons (2260) – Cherny_Rytsar (2289) 0-1 · 2026-09-02 · 180 + 2s
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
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.