French Defense: Tarrasch Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2
What Is The Tarrasch Variation?
After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5, 3.Nd2 keeps the c-pawn free and denies Black the pin 3...Bb4. The Tarrasch sidesteps the Winawer's doubled c-pawns, so White keeps a healthy structure and plays for a small, lasting edge. The cost is passivity: the knight blocks the c1 bishop and abandons pressure on d5, so Black frees the position at once.
Black picks the structure. With 3...c5 you head for an isolated queen's pawn after 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6, where White targets d5 and you get open lines and active pieces. With 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 White takes space and you strike back with c5 and f6. Guimard's 3...Nc6 and Morozevich's 3...a6 both delay c5 and fight for the centre on their own terms.
How Should You Respond To The French Defense: Tarrasch Variation?
You are Black and the field is genuinely split: 29% play 3...Nf6, 29% 3...dxe4 and 26% 3...c5. 3.Nd2 avoids the pin on c3 at the cost of blocking the c1 bishop and the queen, so it is a real concession as well as a solid choice.
The knight on d2 cannot support an early e5 push properly, which is why ...c5 hits harder here than against 3.Nc3. 3...c5 goes straight for the centre before White untangles. 3...Nf6 invites 4.e5 and a normal Advance where White has spent a move on a passive knight. Either is fine. White edges it 49% to 44% over 1,289 games, a smaller margin than the sharper lines return.
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 29% | 448 | |
| dxe4 | 29% | 437 | |
| c5 | 26% | 400 | |
| Nc6 | 5% | 78 |
The Named Lines Of The Tarrasch Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Haberditz Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 f5 |
| Modern System | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 a6 |
| Open System | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 |
| Guimard Defense | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6 |
| Morozevich Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7 |
| Closed Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 |
| Open System, Süchting Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.c3 |
| Open System, Euwe-Keres Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3 |
| Open System, Shaposhnikov Gambit | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Nf6 |
| Guimard Defense, Main Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6 4.Ngf3 Nf6 |
| Chistyakov Defense | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 |
| Pawn Center Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 |
| Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nc6 4.c3 dxe4 5.Nxe4 e5 |
| Open System, Advance Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 c4 |
| Open System, Main Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 exd5 5.Ngf3 Nc6 6.Bb5 Bd6 7.dxc5 Bxc5 8.O-O Ne7 9.c3 |
| Botvinnik Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 b6 |
| Eliskases Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd8 |
| Closed Variation, Main Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 |
| Leningrad Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 Nb6 |
| Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.exd5 Qxd5 5.Ngf3 cxd4 6.Bc4 Qd6 7.O-O Nf6 8.Nb3 Nc6 9.Nbxd4 Nxd4 10.Nxd4 a6 |