Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation (6. cxd5 exd5)
1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. d4 d5 6. cxd5 exd5
The Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D32, reached after 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. d4 d5 6. cxd5 exd5. 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 1 times by this move order. White won 100%, 0% were drawn and Black won 0%. The most popular continuation is 7. Be2 (100% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.06 (Stockfish, depth 55; best line 7. Bb5 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bd7 9. O-O Bd6)
- ECO
- D32
- Moves
- 12 plies
- FEN
r1bqkb1r/pp3ppp/2n2n2/2pp4/3P4/2N1PN2/PP3PPP/R1BQKB1R w KQkq - 0 7- PGN
1. c4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e3 e6 5. d4 d5 6. cxd5 exd5
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 2000+ | 1 | |
| All | 1 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 7. Be2 | 1 (100%) |
Master games
24 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 42%, draw 41%, Black 17%). The strongest:
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2868) – GM Teimour Radjabov (2745) 1-0 · Supreme Masters 2013 · 2013-05-14
- GM Liren Ding (2791) – GM Teimour Radjabov (2765) 1/2-1/2 · Chessable Masters GpB · 2020-06-21
- GM Peter Svidler (2749) – GM Viswanathan Anand (2783) 1/2-1/2 · 5th Sinquefield Cup 2017 · 2017-08-03
- GM Alexander Grischuk (2778) – GM Viswanathan Anand (2753) 1/2-1/2 · GCT Blitz Croatia 2021 · 2021-07-10
- GM Hans Moke Niemann (2688) – GM Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (2721) 1-0 · Niemann-Vidit Blitz 2024 · 2024-06-22
Search all games of the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- gustey (2067) – loveHim4Ever (2000) 1-0 · 2026-09-03 · 180 + 2s
Comes from
English Opening: Symmetrical Variation (1… c5 2. Nf3) 1. c4 c5 2. Nf3
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: 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
- Tarrasch Defense: Swedish Variation 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.