French Tarrasch Open: 4.Ngf3 cxd4

French Defense: Tarrasch Variation

Definition

The Tarrasch Variation of the French Defense arises after the moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2. By developing the queen’s knight to d2 instead of the more customary c3, White keeps the option of c2-c3 in reserve and prevents the pinning idea …Bb4 associated with the Winawer. ECO codes C03–C09 cover the various branches.

Typical Continuations

  • 3…c5 (Open System)  4.Ngf3 Nc6 5.exd5 exd5
  • 3…Nf6 (Closed System)  4.e5 Nfd7
  • 3…Be7 (Guimard)  4.e5 c5
  • 3…c5 4.exd5 exd5 (Tarrasch Exchange)

Strategic Themes

  • Flexibility for White – By not blocking the c-pawn early, White can support the d-pawn with c2-c3 or strike in the center with c2-c4, depending on Black’s setup.
  • Piece Activity for Black – In many lines Black sacrifices structural niceties (e.g., the isolated queen’s pawn after …c5xd4) for rapid development and pressure on the half-open e-file.
  • IQP Positions – After …c5xd4 and …exd5, the resulting isolated d-pawn positions resemble the Queen’s Gambit Tarrasch. Both sides must know typical plans such as blockade, minor-piece pressure and piece activity.

Historical Significance

Named after Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934), although the German master mainly championed similar IQP positions from the Queen’s Gambit. In the 1970s and 1980s Anatoly Karpov adopted the line as Black, using it in two World Championship matches against Viktor Korchnoi. Modern adherents include Maxime Vachier-Lagrave and Alexander Grischuk.

Illustrative Game

Karpov – Korchnoi, World Championship (Game 17), Baguio 1978.

Interesting Facts

  • Because 3.Nd2 keeps the f1-bishop’s diagonal clear, many White players transpose into a King’s Indian Attack setup with g3, Bg2, and 0-0.
  • The move order 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 was a favorite of U.S. grandmaster Gata Kamsky, who once called it “the most practical way to meet the French.”
  • The database statistics for master games are remarkably close: roughly 50 % wins for White, 50 % when draws are divided between the sides — a testament to the variation’s dynamic balance.

French Defense: Open (Exchange) Variation

Definition

The Open or Exchange Variation occurs after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5. All central pawns are exchanged, leaving a symmetrical structure and an “open” e-file. Although often regarded as drawish at the top level, it provides a clean strategic battleground in which both sides can play for a win.

Main Ideas for Both Sides

  • Minor-Piece Placement – With no central pawn tension, the game revolves around rapid piece development. White usually aims for Bf4 or Bg5, Nc3, Qd2/ Qf3 and 0-0-0. Black responds with …Nf6, …Bd6, …Nc6, and either kingside castling or the sharper 0-0-0.
  • Pawn Breaks – The symmetrical structure makes c2-c4 and …c7-c5 the main pawn breaks. An instructive rule of thumb: the first player to seize the c-file often dictates the middlegame.
  • Endgame Prospects – Because no pawn weaknesses exist in the center, many games steer toward endgames where the better-placed king or more active rooks decide.

Debunking “The Grandmaster’s Draw”

While the variation’s reputation for early simplification is deserved, a number of high-level encounters have produced rich, tactical battles. Nigel Short defeated Garry Kasparov with it in a 1986 London simul, and Magnus Carlsen has employed the line as Black to play for a win, arguing that the symmetrical pawn structure gives him two results: draw or win.

Example Game

Short – Timman, Tilburg 1991

Trivia

  • The position after 3…exd5 has appeared in databases more than 35,000 times, making it the single most common tabiya in the French Defense.
  • Because the queen’s bishops remain unblocked, the line was sometimes called the “Barber’s Variation” in 19th-century coffee-house play: both diagonals are “open for a shave.”

Move Sequence: 4.Ngf3 cxd4 in the French Tarrasch

Position Overview

The moves usually arrive via 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 cxd4. After Black captures on d4, the following position appears:

White: King e1, Queen d1, Rooks a1 h1, Knights d2 f3, Bishops c1 f1, Pawns a2 b2 c2 d4 e4 f2 g2 h2.
Black: King e8, Queen d8, Rooks a8 h8, Knights b8 g8, Bishops c8 f8, Pawns a7 b7 c5 d5 e6 f7 g7 h7.

Strategic Significance

  • Isolated Queen’s Pawn Accepted – By taking on d4, Black signals willingness to play with (or against) an isolated d-pawn after …exd5 or …Nf6 followed by …d5xc4.
  • Early Clarification – Instead of maintaining central tension with 4…Nf6, Black immediately resolves the d-pawn structure, reducing White’s central space advantage but ceding the initiative for a few tempos.
  • Piece Play – The capture opens the c-file for Black’s queen’s rook and gives Black the choice of …Nf6 and …Nc6, focusing on rapid development.

Plans for Both Sides

  1. White
    • Recapture with a piece: 5.exd5 or 5.Nxd4, keeping healthy pawn structure.
    • Quick kingside development: Bd3, 0-0, Re1, aiming for an e-file pressure.
    • Central break c2-c4 to undermine the isolated pawn if Black keeps it.
  2. Black
    • After 5.Nxd4 Nf6 6.exd5, accept the IQP and rely on active pieces (…Bc5, …0-0, …Re8).
    • Alternatively, 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Bc4 Qxg2!? (the so-called Milner-Barry Gambit declined) leading to sharp play.

Model Game

Grischuk – Vachier-Lagrave, Biel 2013

Fun Fact

Despite being one of the most heavily analyzed branches of the Tarrasch, engines like Stockfish still fluctuate in their evaluation of 4…cxd4, occasionally switching from “slightly worse for Black” to “0.00” with every new release—proof that the practical value of dynamic imbalance endures even in the computer age.

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Last updated 2025-07-04