- ECO code
- C07
- Moves
- 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5
- Family
- French Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 635
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1896–2026
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System is the opening filed under ECO code C07, reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5. It belongs to the French Defense family and is known as the Tarrasch Variation, Open System; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 635 games on this line — the 175th most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1896 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 152 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 29% of those games, 48% end in a draw, and Black wins 23%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 5 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 13 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.exd5, played in 331 games, followed by 4.Ngf3 (285) and 4.dxc5 (14). After 4.exd5 White scores 27% and Black 23%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Tal, Mihail (29 games); on the Black side, Kortschnoj, Viktor (78).
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Results in master games
- White 29% (186)
- Draws 48% (302)
- Black 23% (147)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.exd5 | 331 | 27/50/23 | — |
| 4.Ngf3 | 285 | 33/45/22 | — |
| 4.dxc5 | 14 | 21/36/43 | — |
| 4.c3 | 5 | 20/40/40 | — |
How the position is reached
- King's Pawn Game · 1.e4 · 62,859 games
- French Defense · 1.e4 e6 · 6,176 games
- French Defense: Normal Variation · 1.e4 e6 2.d4 · 5,579 games
- French Defense · 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 · 5,533 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation · 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 · 1,173 games
Played most often by
As White
- Tal, Mihail 29
- Vachier Lagrave,M 25
- Karpov, Anatoly 20
As Black
- Kortschnoj, Viktor 78
- Petrosian, Tigran V 35
- Grischuk,A 29
Games per decade
- 1890s 1
- 1910s 1
- 1920s 3
- 1930s 9
- 1940s 20
- 1950s 16
- 1960s 45
- 1970s 83
- 1980s 52
- 1990s 70
- 2000s 77
- 2010s 106
- 2020s 152
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zierk,S | Ivanchuk,V | 1-0 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Rapid 2026 |
| Carlsen,M | Sjugirov,S | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 15th Jan 2026 |
| Zierk,S | Ivanchuk,V | 0-1 | 2026 | Naroditsky Mem Blitz 2026 |
| Pranav,V | Aronian,L | 0-1 | 2026 | Chess.com Open PlayIn2 |
| Manvelyan,Mikayel | Shirov,A | 1-0 | 2025 | Titled Tue 6th May Late |
| Rustamov,Rustam | Aronian,L | 0-1 | 2025 | Titled Tue 3rd Jun Early |
Frequently asked questions
What is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System?
It is the opening with ECO code C07, reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5. It belongs to the French Defense family.
Is the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System good for White or for Black?
In 635 master games on this line White wins 29%, 48% are drawn and Black wins 23%. The collection average is White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28% — so this line is no worse than usual for White than the field as a whole.
What is the main continuation of the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System?
4.exd5 — played in 331 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System?
On the White side Tal, Mihail (29), Vachier Lagrave,M (25), Karpov, Anatoly (20); on the Black side Kortschnoj, Viktor (78), Petrosian, Tigran V (35), Grischuk,A (29).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
Try this line on the board
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