Tarrasch Variation

The Tarrasch Variation defends the e4-pawn with 3. Nd2 rather than 3. Nc3. The knight on d2 leaves the c-pawn free, so White can later play c3 to support d4, and 3...Bb4 loses its point because 4. c3 answers it, which is how the move avoids the Winawer. The price is a less active knight that exerts no pressure on d5 and blocks the c1-bishop, so White usually spends a tempo relocating it before that bishop can develop. White aims for a small but low-risk advantage rather than the sharper play of 3. Nc3.

The Closed Variation, 3...Nf6, forces 4. e5 Nfd7 and produces structures close to the Advance Variation. Black attacks the chain with ...c5, and because the c-pawn is unobstructed White can meet this with c3. The Pawn Center Variation, 5. f4, reinforces e5 at once. The more common 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 allows Black two named setups: 6...b6, the Botvinnik Variation, preparing to trade the problem bishop, and 6...Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nb6, the Leningrad Variation, which posts the knight on b6 to bear on the light squares.

The Open System, 3...c5, is Black's most confrontational choice. It strikes at d4 while e4 is still attacked, which makes 4. c3 dubious; 4. exd5 and 4. Ngf3 are the principled answers. After 4. exd5 Black chooses between 4...exd5, often heading for an isolated queen's pawn after 5. Ngf3 Nc6, and 4...Qxd5, the Chistyakov Defense, where 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd8 is known as the Eliskases Variation.

Almost as popular as either main move is 3...dxe4, since 4. Nxe4 transposes to the Rubinstein Variation; Black can thereby face 3. Nc3 and 3. Nd2 with a single system, though White's extra central control makes the position pleasant for him. The Guimard Defense, 3...Nc6, continues 4. Ngf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nd7 with ...f6 to undermine e5, but the knight blocks ...c5, and 6. Be2 or 6. Nb3 keeps a slight edge for White. The Morozevich Variation, 3...Be7, and the Modern System, 3...a6, are waiting moves that ask White to commit first; 3...a6 also takes b5 away from White's pieces. The Haberditz Variation, 3...f5, is rare.

Siegbert Tarrasch introduced 3. Nd2 against Karl Eckart in 1889. Anatoly Karpov's adoption of it in the 1970s made it a grandmaster staple, and it featured in the 2023 World Championship game Nepomniachtchi versus Ding. White scores slightly better than Black in online games, while the engine regards the position as roughly balanced.