Queens Gambit Declined: Pseudo-Tarrasch Bishop Attack
Queen’s Gambit Declined (QGD)
Definition
The Queen’s Gambit Declined is the family of openings that begins 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6. Black refuses to accept the gambitted c-pawn, instead reinforcing the d-pawn with the modest pawn move …e6.
Usage in Play
The QGD is one of the safest, most time-tested ways for Black to meet 1. d4. By supporting the d-pawn, Black keeps a grip on the centre and prepares quick development with …Nf6, …Be7 and …0-0.
Strategic Significance
- Classical centre: Both sides fight for the d5/e4 squares. White often presses with Nc3, Bg5 and e2-e4; Black counters with …c5 or …c6.
- The Carlsbad structure: After 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5 the typical pawn skeleton (White: pawns on d4 & c3; Black: pawns on d5 & c6) leads to the famous minority attack with b2-b4-b5.
- Hanging pawns: In many QGD lines (including the Pseudo-Tarrasch) Black accepts “hanging” c- and d-pawns in return for active piece play.
Historical Notes
The QGD has appeared in every World Championship match since Steinitz–Zukertort (1886). Capablanca built an almost mythic reputation with it, and modern champions such as Karpov, Kasparov, Anand and Carlsen all trusted the opening in critical games.
Illustrative Game
Capablanca – Alekhine, World Championship Game 32, Buenos Aires 1927. Capablanca’s precise handling of the minority attack forced Alekhine into an uncomfortable endgame, showcasing the strategic richness of the QGD.
Interesting Facts
- The move 2…e6 was once labelled “too passive”; today it is recognised as one of the most solid replies in chess theory.
- Computer analysis shows that the QGD scores essentially 50-50 at the absolute top level—about as balanced as opening theory gets.
Pseudo-Tarrasch Defence (in the QGD)
Definition
The Pseudo-Tarrasch arises after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 (or 3. Nc3 c5). Black strikes at the centre with …c5 before developing the king’s knight to f6. The line is “pseudo” because the original Tarrasch Defence in the Queen’s Gambit (invented by Siegbert Tarrasch) features the move order …Nf6, …c5, …cxd4, and often …Nc6; here Black copies only part of that recipe.
Typical Continuations
- 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 Nc6
leading to hanging pawns for Black. - 4. e3 Nc6 5. Nc3
when play can transpose to the Tarrasch proper.
Strategic Themes
- Hanging pawns vs. blockade: After …cxd4 (if it occurs) Black’s isolated or hanging pawns give dynamic piece play, while White strives to blockade and target them.
- Flexible development: Black sometimes delays …Nf6 to avoid Bg5 pins or to keep e-pawn breaks (…e5) in reserve.
Why Play the Pseudo-Tarrasch?
It offers QGD players a sharper, more Tarrasch-like alternative without having to learn the heavily analysed main-line Tarrasch Defence. The early …c5 immediately challenges White’s centre and can take opponents out of their preparation.
Example Mini-Line
The viewer will recognise the symmetrical pawn duo on c5 & d5 that defines many middlegames of this variation.
Interesting Tidbits
- Siegbert Tarrasch himself never played the “Pseudo” version; the name was coined by later theoreticians.
- “Pseudo” variations often transpose back into the main Tarrasch or even the Semi-Tarrasch depending on move order quirks.
Bishop Attack (Queen’s Gambit Declined, Pseudo-Tarrasch Variation)
Definition
The Bishop Attack is a specific continuation of the Pseudo-Tarrasch: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Bg5. White immediately develops the bishop to g5, pinning the yet-undeveloped knight (which would normally come to f6) and threatening to increase pressure on d5.
Plans for Both Sides
- White: Exploit the pin, provoke weakening moves such as …f6 or …Be7, and target the hanging pawns after e2-e3 and dxc5 ideas. Rapid centralisation with Nc3, e3, dxc5 and Rd1 is typical.
- Black: Break the pin effectively—either …Be7 and …Nf6, or the more ambitious …f6 followed by …c4. Black often relies on active piece play to compensate for structural weaknesses.
Theoretical Status
The Bishop Attack is considered one of the critical tests of the Pseudo-Tarrasch because White exploits the fact that the knight is not yet on f6. Modern engines give White a small pull, but Black’s resources remain sufficient for equality with accurate play.
Model Game
Aronian – Caruana, Tata Steel 2014, featured the sequence 5…Be7 6. Bxe7 Nxe7, after which Black later achieved …c4 followed by energetic knight manoeuvres to demonstrate the dynamic potential of the hanging pawns.
Key Tactical Motifs
- e4-breaks: After Re1 and Nc3, White often sacrifices a pawn with dxc5 followed by e4 to rip open the centre.
- Pin Exploits: If Black plays the natural …Nc6 too early, ideas like Bxf6 Qxf6 Nxd5! can win material.
Interesting Facts
- Because Black has not yet committed the king’s knight, some databases actually file this line under Tarrasch, Bg5 System, illustrating how fluid opening nomenclature can be.
- Club-level players often stumble into the Bishop Attack without realising they are playing a theoretically critical line—making preparation especially rewarding for the well-informed.