Markovich wrote on 10/01/07 at 15:31:35:


I used to assume that after 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5 3. dc e6 4. e4 Bxc5 5. Bb5+ Nc6 6. ed ed 7. 0-0 Black should put his knight on e7.  But some time ago on this board someone advocated 7...Nf6, and I was unable to find anything special for White.

Holbox wrote on 10/01/07 at 12:14:35:


Well, whether the early ...c5 is better than the early ...Nf6, typically on the third move after 1.d4 d5  2.c4 e6 3.Nc3, is precisely what Tarrasch was debating when he promulgated his defense.  So to say that the Tarrasch is weak because it foregoes 3...Nf6 is rather like saying it's weak because it incurs an isolated queen pawn.  The fact is true but the conclusion isn't, necessarily.  (Tarrasch called 3...Nf6 the "Orthodox," although today that has come to mean something more specific.)

These days, of course, it's not a question of which move is better, but which better suits one's game.  All right, 3...Nf6 would probably be chosen if the survival of Planet Earth depended on it, but there are reasons for playing the Tarrasch.

1.d4 d5 2.Nf3 is by no means an inconvenience to a Tarrasch practioner; he just plays 2...c5 and White has nothing better than 3.c4, after which 3...e6 is a Tarrasch.  There is no special harm either in playing 2...e6.  Obviously in either case, Black will almost always play ...Nf6 eventually, so not having the chance to play this precisely on move three is hardly a condemnation of Black's system.

1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 Nf6 3. c4 e6 4. Nc3 c5 5. cd ed?! runs into 6. Bg5.

A Tarrasch player might also play 1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5, since 3. dc e6 4. e4 Bxc5 is quite decent (and Tarrasch-like) for Black.

Speaking of German, there is a Tarrasch book in that language by FM Harald Keilhack which John Watson thinks is excellent.  

I would just add what I think is weak point in the Tarrash. If you play the Tarrasch as your main weapon against the Queen's Gambit, and White delays c4 just one move: 1.d4 d5 2.Nf3, if you want  to play the Tarrasch you have to play 2...e6, 2...,Nf6 doesn't work, but 2...Nf6 is the strongest move to fight against d-pawn openings.

Udav18 wrote on 09/30/07 at 18:29:34:

There is no forced win that I am aware of

Seriously, I have dabbled with it and concur that Mnb has a point. The lines Karpov played are the hardest to face. When I faced those I had great difficulty untangling and an experienced d4 player will keep you under pressure the whole game. However opposed to say the Budapest the play is more complex, so even though you are under pressure you have chances. Also the Tarrasch gambit is worse for black than most (black) books let on.

With this in mind there are some things which could make the Tarrasch interesting for you:
-Endgames. You will get a lot of endgames. So it will automatically improve that department.
-Isolani. You will get to play with it a lot and the main task is to get your pieces active to be able to transform that damn pawn into a strength. A good white will make you suffer especially there, but unless they are named Anatoli you will have chances to generate that activity.
-Safety net. Even when you lose the isolani you can often hold the resulting  endgames.
-Most non-main lines give equality.
-It is usable against 1.c4, the catalan and other stuff as well.
-Understanding this opening helps with the QGD where the move c5 has the same pros and cons, but far less pronounced.

Udav18 wrote on 09/30/07 at 18:29:34:


Have you already played through those two Karpov-Kasparov games? You see, Karpov was WCh back then and an expert on demolishing slightly inferior openings. If there is a forced line where white is better and black has no chance for a win then Karpov played it.

Thanks for your advice.
I play at the level of 2000 DWZ =about 2100Elo.
I think also that the Tarrasch Defence is a quite good opening to play for a win.So there is no forced line where white is better and black has no chance for a win?