Tarrasch Defense Opening Theory

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The Queen’s Gambit Declined is the most popular way to fight the attempt by white to give up (gambit) his c4 pawn. It has been played by top masters since the 19th century, and it will never lose popularity due to its solidity, flexibility, and the amount of different options it gives to black.

In this video I have covered the Tarrasch Defense, a quite irregular way for black to play the QGD. A defense which solves the strategic issue of the bad light squared bishop on c8 immediately, but leaves black with a different type of downside – a potential IQP.

In exchange for his weaker structure, black gets dynamic play. The Tarrasch is a defense for aggressive, dynamic players, who don’t fear having a weaker structure or static weaknesses if they can have dynamic advantages to compensate for that.

The good news is that the defense is easy to learn up to a point where you can play it confidently. The lines are very forced, and the first 9 moves are a must play for both sides. With practice, it’s a great weapon for black and could lead to very interesting double edged positions.

For an introduction to the Queen’s Gambit Declined, watch this video on the basics: youtu.be/CMy65JeSShw

#chess