Tarrasch Defense

1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5

The Tarrasch Defense is a chess opening classified as ECO D32, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5. 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 4,182 times by this move order. White won 48%, 6% were drawn and Black won 46%. The most popular continuation is 4. cxd5 (39% of games).

Engine evaluation: +0.32 (Stockfish, depth 56; best line 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. dxc5 d4)

ECO: D32
Moves: 6 plies
FEN: rnbqkbnr/pp3ppp/4p3/2pp4/2PP4/2N5/PP2PPPP/R1BQKBNR w KQkq - 0 4
PGN: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5

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

Results by rating

Average rating	Games	White / draw / Black
0-1499	936	51%46%
1500-1999	2,053	49%46%
2000+	1,193	44%48%
All	4,182	48%46%

Most played moves

Move	Games	White / draw / Black
4. cxd5	1,647 (39%)	47%47%
4. Nf3	1,100 (26%)	49%46%
4. e3	820 (20%)	50%44%
4. dxc5	339 (8%)	45%50%
4. Bf4	153 (4%)	47%45%
4. e4	58 (1%)	53%47%
4. a3	24 (1%)	50%46%
4. g3	8 (0%)	25%75%

Master games

749 over-the-board games are classified under this line (White 39%, draw 22%, Black 39%). The strongest:

Stockfish 202008260719_nn-82215d0fd0df (3551) – Fire 8_beta (3457) 1-0 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-19
Fire 8_beta (3457) – Stockfish 202008260719_nn-82215d0fd0df (3551) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-15
Ethereal 12.43 (3470) – ScorpioNN 3.0.8.3 (3448) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-09-04
ScorpioNN 3.0.8.3 (3448) – Ethereal 12.43 (3470) 1/2-1/2 · TCEC 19 Premier 2020 · 2020-08-31
GM Liren Ding (2799) – GM Magnus Carlsen (2864) 1/2-1/2 · Charity Cup KO 2022 · 2022-03-24

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

Highest-rated Lichess games

NM Andrey11976 (2790) – Minarque (2727) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s
Nut5105 (2720) – Vahe_S (2745) 1/2-1/2 · 2026-09-06 · 180 + 0s
anhbutk (2673) – Juplt3rLlk3 (2738) 0-1 · 2026-09-04 · 180 + 0s

Comes from

Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3

Continuations

Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense (4. cxd5 exd5) D32 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5
Tarrasch Defense: Schara Gambit D32 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 cxd4
Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation (5. Nf3 Nc6) D32 · 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6

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.