Queen's Gambit Declined: Semi-Tarrasch Defense

ECO D40-D42intermediate

The Semi-Tarrasch is the Tarrasch Defense with the structural concession removed. Black still plays ...c5 for piece activity, but recaptures on d5 with the knight rather than a pawn, so there is no isolated queen's pawn to defend for the rest of the game. The price is that White gets a free hand in the centre — usually a pawn duo on d4 and e4 after Nxc3 and e4. Black accepts a slightly passive position in exchange for a healthy one, and looks to trade pieces until the centre stops mattering.

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Main line

1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3 7.bxc3 cxd4

Diagram shows the position after 6 half-moves of the main line. On SpeakChess you can drill this line move by move — the trainer plays the other side and corrects you instantly, then spaced repetition schedules each variation so you review it right before you would forget it.

Move by move

The first 12 moves of the main line, explained one at a time. Every move of every variation is annotated like this inside the trainer — this page shows the opening moves so you can judge the explanations before signing up.

1.d4 White advances the pawn to d4, staking a claim right in the center and opening lines for the bishop and queen to develop.
1...Nf6 Black jumps the knight to f6, a great central square. It challenges White's control of the center and gets a piece into the game quickly.
2.c4 Now the pawn pushes up to c4, sitting on a light square next to its friend on d4. Together these two pawns grab lots of space in the middle, building a strong wall and asking your opponent how they want to fight back.
2...e6 Black steps the pawn to e6, supporting the d5 pawn and opening a path for the dark-squared bishop to develop later.
3.Nf3 Out comes the knight to f3, a great developing move! This sleepy piece leaves the back row and jumps into the game on a light square, helping guard the center and getting you one step closer to castling your king to safety.
3...d5 Black pushes the pawn all the way to d5, meeting White's pawns head-on in the center. Now both sides have a strong pawn presence in the middle.
4.Nc3 White brings the knight out to c3, developing a new piece and adding pressure on the d5 pawn. Both White knights are now working together.
4...c5 Black advances the pawn to c5, attacking White's d4 pawn and fighting for control of the center. This is the Semi-Tarrasch Defense starting to take shape.
5.cxd5 White's pawn captures the pawn on d5, trading pawns and opening the center. This swap changes the pawn structure and creates new lines for both sides.
5...Nxd5 Black recaptures with the knight on d5, taking back the pawn. The knight lands on a strong central square where it controls a lot of important spaces.
6.e4 White pushes the pawn to e4, grabbing even more space in the center. This bold move challenges the knight on d5 and opens lines for the pieces.
6...Nxc3 Black's knight captures White's knight on c3, trading pieces. This removes one of White's central defenders and changes the balance of the position.

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Win rates by rating

Results from real online games, measured after the line shown in each row. Most opening sites show one aggregate number — how an opening scores depends heavily on who is playing it.

Rating	Games	White wins	Draws	Black wins	Position after
400-600	69	47.8%	1.4%	50.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4
600-800	38	39.5%	2.6%	57.9%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5
800-1000	51	64.7%	2%	33.3%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
1000-1200	27	40.7%	3.7%	55.6%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4
1200-1400	655	51.9%	5.3%	42.8%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
1400-1600	1,549	48.2%	5.1%	46.7%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
1600-1800	267	45.3%	4.9%	49.8%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
1800-2000	360	48.1%	6.1%	45.8%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
2000-2200	425	49.6%	8.2%	42.1%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3
2200-2400	443	41.8%	12.2%	46.1%	1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3

Most played continuations (1400-1600 rating)

After 1.d4 Nf6 2.c4 e6 3.Nf3 d5 4.Nc3 c5 5.cxd5 Nxd5 6.e4 Nxc3:

bxc3 — played 100% of the time (White wins 48.2%, draws 5.1%, Black wins 46.7%)

Related openings

Frequently asked questions

How is this different from the Tarrasch Defense?

One recapture. In the Tarrasch, Black takes on d5 with a pawn and lives with an isolated d-pawn in return for active pieces. In the Semi-Tarrasch, the knight recaptures instead: no isolated pawn, but no free activity either, and White is allowed to build the centre Black would otherwise have contested.

Is the Semi-Tarrasch solid enough for a main defence?

Yes. It has no structural weaknesses to nurse and no forced lines to memorise, which makes it a reliable choice for players who want a sound answer to 1.d4 without a large theoretical burden. The trade-off is that winning attempts with Black have to come from the middlegame, not the opening.

What is White's most testing plan?

Play e4 and use the extra central space to keep Black's pieces passive. If White gets d4 and e4 established with pieces behind them, Black can be squeezed for a long time — so Black's counterplay usually involves timely trades and hitting the centre with ...b6 and ...Bb7 before it becomes permanent.

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