Tarrasch Defense: Two Knights & Rubinstein
Tarrasch Defense
Definition
The Tarrasch Defense is a dynamic reply to the Queen’s Gambit. After 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 Black immediately challenges the center with …c5, accepting an isolated-queen-pawn (IQP) risk in return for fluid piece play. The opening is named for Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch (1862-1934), a leading theoretician who championed active piece play and the “open game”.
How it is used
- Black seeks rapid development, open lines, and long-term pressure on White’s center.
- The typical pawn structure features an IQP on d5 after …cxd4 and …exd5. Black’s pieces revolve around supporting or advancing that pawn (…d5-d4) or exchanging it under favorable circumstances.
- White usually plays against the pawn: blockade with a knight on d4, trade pieces, and press in the end-game.
Strategic & historical significance
- Introduced in high-level play at Leipzig 1894 and adopted by grandmasters such as Rubinstein, Korchnoi, and Kasparov.
- Helped frame the classic debate “Is the IQP a weakness or a strength?”
- Serves as an educational model for learning how to handle isolated pawns.
Example line
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Be7 8. O-O O-O 9. Bg5 cxd4 10. Nxd4 h6 — Fischer – Korchnoi, Buenos Aires 1960. Fischer eventually blockaded d5 and won the ending, a textbook IQP squeeze.
Interesting facts
- Tarrasch jokingly called the IQP “a pawn that is both weak and strong at the same time.”
- Kasparov revived the defense versus Karpov in the 1986 World Championship, proving it remained playable at the very top.
Two Knights
Definition
“Two Knights” most often refers to the Two Knights Defense of the Italian Game: 1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6. Black brings out both knights aggressively, inviting tactical complications after 4. Ng5.
How it is used
- Black accepts the risk of the Fried Liver Attack (4. Ng5 d5 5. exd5 Nxd5?!) in exchange for quick development and counter-punching chances (safer is 5…Na5).
- Modern grandmasters often steer toward quiet lines such as 4. d3 or 4. Nc3 to avoid forcing theory.
Strategic & historical significance
- One of the earliest studied openings; analysis dates back to 17th-century Italian masters like Greco.
- The line 4. Ng5 is a staple in tactics books and scholastic chess because it demonstrates themes such as the “fork trick,” weak f7, and the importance of rapid development.
Example miniature
One of many ways White can punish inaccurate defense.
Interesting facts
- The “Fried Liver” (Italian friggione = fried) nickname was coined by American amateurs in the early 20th century.
- Capablanca defeated Marshall in just 23 moves with 4. d4 in New York 1909, showing quieter possibilities.
Rubinstein (Variation)
Definition
“Rubinstein Variation” is an umbrella term for several calm, strategic systems pioneered by Akiba Rubinstein (1882-1961), one of the greatest end-game virtuosos. The common thread is restrained pawn advances and harmonious development.
Common openings carrying the name
- French Defense: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3/Nd2 dxe4 — the Rubinstein Variation. Black exchanges early, heading for a solid but slightly passive set-up.
- Nimzo-Indian: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 — Rubinstein System (also called the Classical, but “Rubinstein” persists).
- Tarrasch Defense: after 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. cxd5 exd5 6. g3, Rubinstein played 6…Be6!? at Prague 1908, creating a line that still carries his name.
Strategic significance
- Shows Rubinstein’s philosophy: trade tension, keep a healthy pawn structure, and grind in the ending.
- Often chosen by players who prefer understanding over memorization (e.g., Karpov used the French Rubinstein as a drawing weapon).
Interesting anecdote
Rubinstein once drew 17 consecutive games with Black using his French line in the elite St. Petersburg 1914 tournament—good enough to finish ahead of Alekhine!
Prague (Variation)
Definition
The Prague Variation generally refers to a sharp line in the Tarrasch Defense introduced during the 1931 Prague Olympiad: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Qb6!?
How it is used
- Black puts immediate pressure on d4 and b2, forcing White to decide between passive defense (e3) or tactical lines (Nxc6, 0-0).
- The queen venture breaks normal rules (“don’t bring the queen out early”) but is justified by concrete tactics.
Historical note
The move 8…Qb6 was introduced by the Czech master Karel Opocensky in the 1931 Olympiad held in Prague, earning the local nickname.
Sample continuation
9. Nxc6 bxc6 10. O-O Be7 11. e4?! d4! → Black’s IQP advances and the bishop comes to a6 with fierce play.
Carlsbad (Pawn Structure)
Definition
The Carlsbad pawn structure arises chiefly from the Queen’s Gambit Exchange: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5. White pawns: c-d-e on c3-d4-e3; Black pawns: c-d-e on c6-d5-e6. Named after the 1923 Carlsbad tournament, where many games featured this setup.
Key strategic ideas
- Minority Attack: White advances b2-b4-b5 to create a weakness on c6.
- Kingside expansion: Black may play …f7-f5-f4 to seize space.
- Good vs. bad bishop: White’s light-squared bishop on d3 often eyes h7; Black’s counterpart can be hemmed in by e6-d5-c6 pawns.
- Breaking with e3-e4 or …e6-e5 transforms the center.
Classic example
Botvinnik – Capablanca, AVRO 1938. Botvinnik executed the textbook minority attack, fixing a weak c6 pawn and winning the resulting end-game.
Interesting facts
- The structure is a required topic for Soviet-era candidate-master exams.
- Kasparov labeled it “the laboratory of positional chess” in his My Great Predecessors series.
Spassky Variation
Definition
Several openings carry Boris Spassky’s name; the most famous is the Spassky Variation of the King’s Gambit: 1. e4 e5 2. f4 exf4 3. Nf3 g5 4. h4 g4 5. Ne5!
How it is used
- White sacrifices a knight (if 5…d6 6.Nxg4) or at least subjects it to harassment to open the f-file and destabilize Black’s kingside.
- Ideal for players who thrive on chaos and initiative.
Historical significance
Spassky unleashed 5. Ne5 versus Bronstein at the USSR Championship 1960 and won a spectacular attacking game, reviving interest in the ancient King’s Gambit.
Illustrative game
The finale 33. Qg7# remains one of the most quoted King’s Gambit finishes.
Other “Spassky” systems
- Nimzo-Indian Spassky Variation: 1. d4 Nf6 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e3 c6 (Spassky played this in the 1960s; Black prepares …d5 without allowing the Rubinstein 4…b6 or Karpov line).
- Marshall Attack “Spassky Variation”: a sideline with 11…Be6 (instead of 11…Qg6) introduced in Spassky – Fischer, Leipzig 1960.
Interesting tidbit
Spassky once joked, “I don’t study theory; I make it.” His daring 5. Ne5 proved the claim when entire monographs had to be rewritten after 1960.