Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense
1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5
What Is The Semi-Tarrasch Defense?
The name misleads: the Semi-Tarrasch is not a softer Tarrasch, it is a different animal. After 5.cxd5 you recapture with the knight, and that choice is the whole opening. By playing 5...Nxd5 instead of 5...exd5, Black refuses the isolated queen's pawn that defines the Tarrasch and gets a clean, structurally sound position. The cost is space: trading the d5 knight on c3 hands White a pawn center with e4 to follow.
White builds pawns on c3, d4 and e4, develops fast, and prepares the d5 break that opens lines against your king. Black hits back with ...b6, ...Bb7 and pressure on d4, aiming for an endgame where the queenside pawn majority decides. One question settles these games: does White's center roll forward, or does it turn into a target?
How Do You Play Against The Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense?
33% play 5.Bg5, 31% take with 5.cxd5 and 23% choose 5.e3. Black has played ...c5 and accepted an isolated queen pawn structure in exchange for free piece play, which is a deliberate trade rather than a concession.
Isolated pawn positions are decided by exchanges, so trade the pieces Black wants for attacking and keep the ones that blockade. A knight on d4 in front of the pawn is worth more than any rook manoeuvre here. Steer for an endgame where the isolani is a target rather than a source of activity. White scores 51% to 45% over 438 games, so the structure does tell in the long run.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Be7 | 27% | 1,058 | |
| Bb4 | 26% | 998 | |
| c6 | 14% | 531 | |
| c5 | 12% | 448 |
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bg5 | 33% | 175 | |
| cxd5 | 31% | 164 | |
| e3 | 23% | 122 | |
| dxc5 | 5% | 27 |
The Named Lines Of The Semi-Tarrasch Defense
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Pillsbury Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e3 |
| with e3 | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5 3.Nf3 Nf6 4.Nc3 e6 5.e3 Nc6 6.Bd3 |
| Exchange Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 |
| Main Line | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e3 Nc6 7.Bd3 |
| Symmetrical Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c5 5.e3 Nc6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O |
| Krause Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 c5 5.Nf3 cxd4 6.Nxd4 e5 7.Ndb5 a6 8.Qa4 |
| Endgame Variation | 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 cxd4 6.Qxd4 exd5 7.e4 dxe4 8.Qxd8+ |
| San Sebastian Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.cxd5 Nxd5 5.e4 Nxc3 6.bxc3 c5 7.Nf3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Qa5 |
| Levenfish Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c5 5.e3 Nc6 6.Bd3 Bd6 7.O-O O-O 8.Qe2 Qe7 9.dxc5 Bxc5 10.e4 |
| Kmoch Variation | 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Nf3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 cxd4 8.cxd4 Bb4+ 9.Bd2 Bxd2+ 10.Qxd2 O-O 11.Bb5 |