Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense

How do you reach the Tarrasch Defense?

The Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense arises after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5 4.cxd5 exd5. Along the way the game passes through Queen's Pawn Game → Queen's Gambit → Queen's Gambit Declined → Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation → Tarrasch Defense → Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense, which is why you will see those names on the way into it. Transpositions reaching the same position by a different move order are counted as the same opening on this page.

The main line, move by move

1. 1. d4 — the position is now the Queen's Pawn Game
2. 1... d5 — the position is now the Queen's Pawn Game
3. 2. c4 — the position is now the Queen's Gambit
4. 2... e6 — the position is now the Queen's Gambit Declined
5. 3. Nc3 — the position is now the Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation
6. 3... c5 — the position is now the Tarrasch Defense
7. 4. cxd5
8. 4... exd5 — the position is now the Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense

Related openings: Slav Defense · Queen's Gambit Accepted

Data updated 9 August 2026. Game sample: Lichess July 2026, rating band 1200–2200. Opening names and lines: lichess-org/chess-openings (CC0).