Tarrasch Defense: Two Knights Variation
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3
The Tarrasch Defense: Two Knights Variation is a chess opening classified as ECO D32, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3. It is a line of the Tarrasch Defense. Black is to move. 3 named lines continue from this position.
In 12.6 million rated Lichess games (blitz and slower), this position was reached 653 times by this move order. White won 50%, 6% were drawn and Black won 44%. The most popular continuation is 5… Nc6 (62% of games).
Engine evaluation: +0.33 (Stockfish, depth 50; best line 5… Nc6 6. dxc5 d4 7. Na4 Bxc5 8. Nxc5)
- ECO
- D32
- Moves
- 9 plies
- FEN
rnbqkbnr/pp3ppp/8/2pp4/3P4/2N2N2/PP2PPPP/R1BQKB1R b KQkq - 1 5- PGN
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3
Analyse with Stockfish · Board image (SVG) · Open on Lichess
Results by rating
| Average rating | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 0-1499 | 73 | |
| 1500-1999 | 207 | |
| 2000+ | 373 | |
| All | 653 |
Most played moves
| Move | Games | White / draw / Black |
|---|---|---|
| 5… Nc6 | 404 (62%) | |
| 5… Nf6 | 145 (22%) | |
| 5… cxd4 | 53 (8%) | |
| 5… c4 | 23 (4%) | |
| 5… Be6 | 13 (2%) | |
| 5… h6 | 6 (1%) | |
| 5… Bg4 | 4 (1%) | |
| 5… Be7 | 2 (0%) |
Master games
1,239 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 44%, draw 31%, Black 25%). The strongest:
- LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) – Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-03
- Stockfish dev-20240728-2343f71 (3662) – LCZero 0.31-dag-5350a2e-BT4-61 (3631) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 26 Balanced Lines · 2024-08-03
- GM Santosh Gujrathi Vidit (2722) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2870) 1/2-1/2 · Tata Steel India Rapid · 2019-11-23
- GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) – GM Jorden Van Foreest (2715) 1-0 · Chessable Masters Prelim · 2022-05-19
- GM Shakhriyar Mamedyarov (2767) – GM Fabiano Caruana (2792) 0-1 · 7th Gashimov Mem Blitz · 2021-12-23
Search all games of the Tarrasch Defense: Two Knights Variation and its sub-variations
Highest-rated Lichess games
- Nut5105 (2720) – Vahe_S (2745) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
- GgangbuVip (2680) – Juplt3rLlk3 (2723) 1-0 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
- Fide_MaSk (2709) – FM kirill_kopyonkin (2674) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-05 · 180 + 0s
Comes from
Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense (4. cxd5 exd5) 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5
Continuations
- Tarrasch Defense: Rubinstein System D33 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense (6. Bg5 Be7) D32 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. Bg5 Be7
- Tarrasch Defense: Grünfeld Gambit D32 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. dxc5 d4 7. Na4 b5
More Tarrasch Defense lines (all)
- Tarrasch Defense 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: von Hennig Gambit D32
- Tarrasch Defense: Dubov Tarrasch D33
- Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation D33
- Tarrasch Defense: Swedish Variation D33
- Tarrasch Defense: Swedish Variation, Central Break D33
- Tarrasch Defense: Wagner 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.