Tarrasch variation (part 1)

Tarrasch your opponents!
How to play chess for two results with white

The French Defense is a chess opening starting with 1. e4 e6 2.d4 d5. The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, though it can result in a somewhat cramped game for Black in the early stages. GM Henrik Danielsen shows how the Tarrasch Variation 3.Nd2 can almost always turn into a better pawn structure for white if black makes a small inaccuracy.

This move was particularly popular during the late 1970s and early 1980s when Anatoly Karpov used it to great effect. It is still played today by players seeking a small, safe advantage. Thus, the French Tarrasch is one of the main weapons when white plays for two results in club games or matches.

French, Tarrasch defense part 1

Historically important contributors to the theory of the defence include Mikhail Botvinnik, Viktor Korchnoi, Aron Nimzowitsch, Tigran Petrosian, Lev Psakhis, Wolfgang Uhlmann and Rafael Vaganian. More recently, its leading practitioners include Evgeny Bareev, Alexey Dreev, Mikhail Gurevich, Alexander Khalifman, Smbat Lputian, Alexander Morozevich, Teimour Radjabov, Nigel Short, Gata Kamsky, and Yury Shulman.