Tarrasch Defense: Two Knights, Prague, Carlsbad
Tarrasch Defense
Definition
The Tarrasch Defense is a combative answer to the Queen’s Gambit that arises after the moves
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5.
Black immediately challenges the center with the c-pawn instead of the more restrained 3…Nf6 of the Orthodox Defense. The resulting positions often feature an isolated queen’s pawn (IQP) on d5 that grants Black active piece play at the cost of a long-term structural weakness.
Usage in Play
- Black accepts an IQP but gains open lines for the bishops and rooks.
- Typical development: …Nf6, …Nc6, …Be7 or …Bb4+, and rapid castling.
- White decides between immediate exchanges (Exchange & Prague lines) or more restrained set-ups (Rubinstein System with 4. e3).
Strategic & Historical Significance
Devised by Dr. Siegbert Tarrasch in the late 19th century as an “active” antidote to the classical Queen’s Gambit, the defense embodies his maxim that “the initiative is worth a pawn.” It became a favorite of players who relish dynamic IQP play, notably Garry Kasparov during his 1990 title match with Karpov.
Illustrative Example
Kasparov – Karpov, World Championship (Game 18), Lyon 1990
Interesting Facts
- Tarrasch called 3…c5 “the refutation of the Queen’s Gambit” – an opinion still debated 100 years later.
- The defense had a renaissance in the 1970s thanks to the games of Uhlmann and Hort.
- Modern engines confirm that the IQP positions are fully playable, keeping the opening in elite repertoires.
Two Knights
Definition
“Two Knights” usually refers to the Two Knights Defense of the Italian Game:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bc4 Nf6.
Black answers the Bishop’s deployment with immediate counter-pressure on e4 rather than the quieter 3…Bc5 (Giuoco Piano).
Usage in Chess
- After 4. Ng5, ferocious tactical lines such as the Fried Liver Attack (4…d5 5. exd5 Nxd5? 6. Nxf7) can appear.
- More solid options for Black include 4…d5 5. exd5 Na5 (the Polerio or Main Line) and 4…Bc5 (Traxler/ Wilkes-Barre Counter-gambit) inviting razor-sharp play.
- Players choosing the Two Knights Defense must be tactically alert from the first moves.
Strategic & Historical Significance
Popularised in the mid-1800s by Paulsen and Steinitz, the defense showcased the Romantic era’s appetite for sacrifices. Sporting games such as Morphy’s casual masterpiece against the Duke of Brunswick and Count Isouard highlighted its attacking potential. Today, it remains a mainstay at every level, from scholastic events to top grandmaster encounters.
Illustrative Example
Fischer – Benko, U.S. Championship 1963/64
Interesting Facts
- The Fried Liver Attack is so popular in junior chess that many coaches teach the Two Knights Defense specifically to practice tactical calculation!
- The Traxler Counter-gambit (4…Bc5) is one of the few openings where Black can sacrifice on f2 as early as move five and still be theoretically sound.
- Databases show the Two Knights to be the most frequently encountered reply to 3. Bc4 above club level, eclipsing the Giuoco Piano in master play.
Rubinstein
Definition
When used without further context, “Rubinstein” normally denotes the Rubinstein Variation of the French Defense:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4.
Black exchanges in the center early, steering the game toward a semi-open struggle.
Usage in Chess
- Black’s next moves are usually …Nd7, …Be7, …Ngf6 and quick castling, aiming for piece activity rather than a locked pawn chain.
- White may transpose to an IQP structure with c3 & Bd3, or adopt quieter set-ups with Nf3 and Bd3/Bg5.
- The line appeals to French players who dislike the typical space-cramping 3…Bb4 (Winawer) or 3…Nf6 (Classical) battles.
Strategic & Historical Significance
Introduced by the Polish legend Akiba Rubinstein in the early 1900s, the variation provided a fresh strategic idea: remove central tension immediately and rely on harmonious development. Capablanca, Korchnoi, and Karpov later adopted it, underscoring its positional soundness.
Illustrative Example
Carlsen – Karjakin, FIDE Candidates, Khanty-Mansiysk 2014
Interesting Facts
- Akiba Rubinstein’s endgame prowess influenced his opening choices; the resulting structures often simplify early.
- The variation is so solid that many French aficionados use it as a universal reply to both 3. Nc3 and 3. Nd2.
- Statistically, the Rubinstein scores close to 50 % for Black in master databases—excellent by French Defense standards.
Prague
Definition
The Prague Variation is a branch of the Tarrasch Defense to the Queen’s Gambit. One common move-order is:
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5.
Black delays recapturing on d4, instead pinning down White’s development and targeting the f2-square.
Usage in Chess
- Black castles rapidly and may follow with …0-0, …Re8, and a timely …Bg4 to increase pressure.
- White fights for the e4 break or aims to exchange on c6, hoping to prove the IQP a weakness.
- The line suits dynamic players who like unbalanced positions with clear attacking chances.
Strategic & Historical Significance
Named after analyses published by Czech masters from Prague in the 1920s and 1930s, the variation reflected the city’s vibrant chess culture. Grandmasters such as Salo Flohr and Luděk Pachman later incorporated it into their repertoires, cementing its theoretical status.
Illustrative Example
Flohr – Pirc, Olympiad, Stockholm 1937
Interesting Facts
- Because the line often begins with symmetrical pawn structures, engines historically underestimated Black’s attacking chances—human practice has proven otherwise.
- Modern specialists include Czech GM David Navara, who has revived the variation in team competitions.
Carlsbad Variation
Definition
The term “Carlsbad Variation” most commonly refers to the Exchange Variation of the Queen’s Gambit Declined leading to the famous Carlsbad pawn structure:
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. cxd5 exd5.
The symmetrical pawn set-up (pawns on d4/d5 & c-file open) was intensively studied at the Carlsbad tournaments of 1907, 1911, 1923, and 1929, hence the name.
Usage in Chess
- White often pursues the minority attack: b2-b4-b5 to fracture Black’s queenside pawns.
- Black counters with piece activity in the center, timely …Ne4, or kingside expansion with …f5.
- The structure can also arise from Slav, Semi-Tarrasch, and certain Caro-Kann lines, making the underlying plans universally useful.
Strategic & Historical Significance
Mastery of the Carlsbad structure is considered essential for developing positional understanding. Classic manuals by Euwe and Nimzowitsch analyze it extensively, highlighting themes like minority attack, prophylaxis, and good knight vs. bad bishop. Botvinnik called it “the Harvard of pawn structures.”
Illustrative Example
Botvinnik – Capablanca, AVRO 1938
Interesting Facts
- The minority attack concept became so linked to Carlsbad that coaches sometimes call it “the Carlsbad plan.”
- World Champion Magnus Carlsen successfully used the structure to outplay Anand in Game 6 of the 2013 title match—proof of its enduring relevance.
- Studying the Carlsbad Variation is a common requirement for International Master norms, given its occurrence frequency in serious play.