- ECO code
- D32
- Moves
- 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5
- Family
- Tarrasch Defense
- To move
- White
- Master games
- 320
- Average game length
- 42 moves
- Years covered
- 1900–2026
Tarrasch Defense is the opening filed under ECO code D32, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5. It belongs to the Tarrasch Defense family; in the resulting position it is White to move.
Katuranga's collection of 138,070 master games contains 320 games on this line — the 293rd most played opening in the collection. The oldest game on this line is from 1900 and the most recent from 2026. The busiest decade in this collection is the 2020s, with 111 games. An average game here lasts 42 moves.
White wins 37% of those games, 41% end in a draw, and Black wins 22%. Compared with the collection average (White 37%, draws 35%, Black 28%), Black scores worse here by 6 percentage points. Draws are more common here than usual, by 6 points.
From this position the most popular move is 4.cxd5, played in 266 games, followed by 4.e3 (35) and 4.Nf3 (16). After 4.cxd5 White scores 38% and Black 18%.
The name that appears most often on the White side of this line is Marshall, Frank James (54 games); on the Black side, Abdusattorov,Nodirbek (32).
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Results in master games
- White 37% (117)
- Draws 41% (134)
- Black 22% (69)
Most played continuations
| Move | Games | White / draws / Black | Leads into |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.cxd5 | 266 | 38/44/18 | — |
| 4.e3 | 35 | 14/49/37 | — |
| 4.Nf3 | 16 | 56/13/31 | — |
| 4.dxc5 | 2 | 50/0/50 | — |
| 4.Nxd5 | 1 | 0/0/100 | — |
How the position is reached
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 · 45,810 games
- Queen's Pawn Game · 1.d4 d5 · 11,560 games
- Queen's Gambit · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 · 8,858 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 · 3,217 games
- Queen's Gambit Declined: Queen's Knight Variation · 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 · 2,147 games
Played most often by
As White
- Marshall, Frank James 54
- Mamedyarov,S 17
- Rubinstein, Akiba 10
As Black
- Abdusattorov,Nodirbek 32
- Grischuk,A 16
- Spielmann, Rudolf 15
Games per decade
- 1900s 67
- 1910s 27
- 1920s 7
- 1930s 13
- 1940s 4
- 1950s 17
- 1960s 7
- 1970s 8
- 1980s 10
- 1990s 19
- 2000s 24
- 2010s 6
- 2020s 111
Master games on this line
| White | Black | Result | Year | Events |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Caruana,F | Vakhlamov,I | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Titled Tue 24th Mar 2026 |
| Gukesh,D | Firouzja,Alireza | 0-1 | 2026 | 14th Norway Armageddon |
| Nakamura,Hi | Lymar,Vladislav | 1-0 | 2026 | 1st 3-0 Thu 25th Jun 2026 |
| Krasenkow,M | Shirov,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2026 | Bundesliga 2025-26 |
| Erigaisi,Arjun | Bai,Jinshi | 1-0 | 2025 | World Rapid 2025 |
| Aronian,L | Puranik,A | 1/2-1/2 | 2025 | FIDE Grand Swiss 2025 |
Frequently asked questions
What is the Tarrasch Defense?
It is the opening with ECO code D32, reached after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5. It belongs to the Tarrasch Defense family.
Is the Tarrasch Defense good for White or for Black?
In 320 master games on this line White wins 37%, 41% are drawn and Black wins 22%. 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 Tarrasch Defense?
4.cxd5 — played in 266 of the master games on this line.
Which grandmasters play the Tarrasch Defense?
On the White side Marshall, Frank James (54), Mamedyarov,S (17), Rubinstein, Akiba (10); on the Black side Abdusattorov,Nodirbek (32), Grischuk,A (16), Spielmann, Rudolf (15).
Every number on this page is computed from Katuranga's master game collection; names and ECO codes follow the lichess opening book (CC0).
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