Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line
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
The Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line 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 cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6 11. Be3 Re8. It is a line of the Tarrasch Defense. 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 3 times by this move order. White won 33%, 0% were drawn and Black won 67%. The most popular continuation is 12. Qa4 (33% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.46 (Stockfish, depth 46; best line 12. Rc1 Bb4 13. Ncb5 Bd7 14. a3 Bf8)
- ECO
- D34
- Moves
- 22 plies
- FEN
r1bqr1k1/pp2bpp1/2n2n1p/3p4/3N4/2N1B1P1/PP2PPBP/R2Q1RK1 w - - 2 12- 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 cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6 11. Be3 Re8
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 3 | |
| All | 3 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 12. Qa4 | 1 (33%) | |
| 12. Nxc6 | 1 (33%) | |
| 12. Qb3 | 1 (33%) |
Master games
58 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 40%, draw 31%, Black 29%). The strongest:
- GM Conrad Holt (2567) – GM Varuzhan Akobian (2633) 1-0 · PRO League Pacific 2017 · 2017-01-11
- GM Carlos Daniel Albornoz Cabrera (2583) – IM Pavel Martynov (2414) 1-0 · Titled Tue 7th Mar Late · 2023-03-07
- GM Johann Hjartarson (2530) – IM Kalle Kiik (2410) 1/2-1/2 · Gibraltar Masters 2019 · 2019-01-31
- IM Evgeny Degtiarev (2439) – GM Maxim Novik (2472) 0-1 · 14th European Maccabi · 2015-08-02
- GM Thai Dai Van Nguyen (2569) – IM Milan Orsag (2300) 1-0 · ch-CZE 2020 · 2020-08-26
Search all games of the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Main Line and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Stock-84 (2538) – Boreminator (2514) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
- zorblub22 (2080) – brakinggnus (2073) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
- verdaddero (2043) – torrealfonsina222 (1998) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 300 + 3s
Comes from
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
Continuations
- Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Chandler 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 Re8 12. Rc1 Be6
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.