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

The Tarrasch Defense: Classical 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. It is a line of the Tarrasch Defense. White is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.

In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 66 times by this move order. White won 45%, 8% were drawn and Black won 47%. The most popular continuation is 9. Bg5 (52% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.29 (Stockfish, depth 48; best line 9. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Na4 Be7 11. Nd4 Nxd4)

ECO: D34
Moves: 16 plies
FEN: r1bq1rk1/pp2bppp/2n2n2/2pp4/3P4/2N2NP1/PP2PPBP/R1BQ1RK1 w - - 5 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

Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
1500-1999	9	22%78%
2000+	57	49%42%
All	66	45%47%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
9. Bg5 Classical Variation, Carlsbad Variation	34 (52%)	50%15%35%
9. dxc5	17 (26%)	35%65%
9. b3	6 (9%)	67%33%
9. Bf4	3 (5%)	67%33%
9. Be3	2 (3%)	100%
9. h3	2 (3%)	50%50%
9. a3	2 (3%)	100%

Master games

304 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 55%, draw 28%, Black 17%). The strongest:

GM Lazaro Bruzon Batista (2644) – GM Rauf Mamedov (2645) 0-1 · Chess24 Banter Blitz Cup · 2020-01-05
GM Christopher Woojin Yoo (2600) – GM Rauf Mamedov (2651) 0-1 · Chess.com Classic Play-In · 2024-05-08
GM Eduardo Iturrizaga Bonelli (2591) – GM Rauf Mamedov (2651) 1/2-1/2 · Chess.com Classic Div 3 W · 2024-05-10
GM Vladimir Potkin (2666) – GM Wojciech Moranda (2560) 1/2-1/2 · 14th Euro Indiv 2013 · 2013-05-08
GM Etienne Bacrot (2692) – GM Alexander Berelowitsch (2521) 1-0 · Bundesliga 2015-16 · 2016-04-23

Search all games of the Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation and its sub-variations

Highest-rated Lichess games

omariscof (2546) – Boreminator (2555) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 0s
FM BorisNavrodskiy (2514) – Boreminator (2564) 1-0 · 2026-09-01 · 180 + 0s
GM novik70 (2522) – l_12 (2536) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s

Comes from

Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation, Main Line 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7

Continuations

Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Carlsbad 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
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Classical Tarrasch Gambit 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. dxc5 d4
Tarrasch Defense: Classical Variation, Réti 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. dxc5 Bxc5 10. Na4

More Tarrasch Defense lines (all)

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.