Tarrasch - Openings, Rules, and History
Tarrasch
Definition
In chess literature, “Tarrasch” usually refers to Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934), one of the classical era’s greatest players and teachers, or to the strategic and opening ideas that carry his name:
- The Tarrasch Defense to the Queen’s Gambit (…d5, …c5, …Nf6),
- The French Defense, Tarrasch Variation (3. Nd2),
- The Tarrasch Rule about placing a rook behind a passed pawn,
- Various “Tarrasch” systems in the Ruy López, the Open Game, and even endgame theory.
Because these concepts share a common source, modern authors often shorten them simply to “Tarrasch.” Context normally makes it clear whether one is speaking of the man, the defense, or the rule.
Historical Background
Siegbert Tarrasch was a German-Jewish physician and élite grandmaster who dominated tournament play in the late
19th century. A fierce evangelist for “healthy” development and activity, he wrote that
chess, like music, has the power to make men happy
and strove to codify the game’s
strategic principles for a wide audience. His books—Dreihundert Schachpartien (1895) and Das Schachspiel (1931)—
influenced generations and left a trail of variations that still bear his name.
Usage in Play
-
As an Opening System.
When a player says “I’ll play the Tarrasch” they usually mean the 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 approach, whose key idea is immediate counter-play in the center, accepting an isolated d-pawn in exchange for freer piece activity.
-
As a Positional Rule.
In endgames, the “Tarrasch Rule” tells the stronger side to place a rook behind its own passed pawn—or behind the opponent’s passed pawn— because the rook both defends the pawn’s advance and cuts off the enemy king.
-
As a Historical Reference.
Annotators sometimes quote a “Tarrasch maxim,” e.g.,
The passer must be pushed!
orA knight on the rim is dim,
underscoring Tarrasch’s didactic style.
Strategic Significance
Tarrasch’s ideas sit at the crossroads between the Romantic era’s love of tactics and the later hyper-modern emphasis on flexibility. Accepting an isolated pawn to gain dynamic compensation was radical in 1890 but is standard practice today.
- Activity vs. Structure: The Tarrasch Defense trades the long-term weakness of an isolated d-pawn for open lines for the bishops and queen.
- Endgame Blueprint: The Tarrasch Rule about rooks behind passed pawns is still the first rule teachers give beginners in rook endings.
Illustrative Games
1. Capablanca – Marshall, San Sebastián 1911
White exploited Black’s isolated pawn in a textbook demonstration of both the
strengths and eventual weaknesses of the Tarrasch Defense.
2. Karpov – Kasparov, World Championship 1984 (Game 9)
Karpov’s 3. Nd2 in the French Defense (Tarrasch Variation) led to a small
positional plus, showing how Tarrasch’s anti-…Bb4 idea can neutralize Black’s
counterplay.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Despite being a contemporary rival of Steinitz, Tarrasch never played a formal World Championship match, which some historians believe diminished his influence in posterity.
- Tarrasch coined numerous aphorisms; one of the most quoted is,
Chess, like love, like music, has the power to make men happy.
- Grandmaster Boris Spassky was such a believer in the Tarrasch Defense that he employed it in his 1966 Candidates matches, reviving its reputation in modern praxis.
- Curiously, Tarrasch himself was critical of the isolated pawn structures that his namesake defense produces, showing that the evolution of opening theory often outpaces the originator’s intent.
Key Takeaways
• “Tarrasch” can refer to a person, an opening, or a positional rule.
• His central idea is piece activity, even at structural cost.
• Understanding the Tarrasch Defense helps players grasp the isolated-pawn
middlegame, one of the most common structures in tournament practice.
• Remember the Tarrasch Rule whenever a rook endgame appears on the board!