Chess Opening Theory/1. e4/1...e6/2. d4/2...d5/3. Nd2/3...Nf6/4. e5/4...Nfd7/5. Bd3/5...c5/6. c3/6...Nc6/7. Ne2

Closed Tarrasch
	a b c d e f g h 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 a b c d e f g h
	Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) r1bqkb1r/pp1n1ppp/2n1p3/2ppP3/3P4/2PB4/PP1NNPPP/R1BQK2R
	Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2
	ECO code: C05
	Parent: French defence → Tarrasch variation → Closed Tarrasch → 6. Nc6

7. Ne2

7. Ne2 defends the d-pawn while keeping the f3 square open for White's other knight. This means that 7...Qb6 8. Nf3 and Black doesn't have sufficient attackers to win the d-pawn.

White controls a lot of space. If Black plays a passive move, like 7...a5 or 7...Be7, White can play 8. f4 (there are other good moves), securing their space advantage.

The pawn chain is a nuisance for Black and they should like to find a way to break it down. Unable to win the d-pawn, Black must attack the end of the pawn chain with ...f6, and make progress towards improving their position that way. But first, Black must resolve the tension around d4.

7...f6?! immediately is inaccurate. Rather than answer 8. exf6, White has the option of 8. Nf4! (8. f4! is also good) threatening Nxe6 and Qh5+ to exploit Black's weakened kingside and king, who is still in the centre. Now 8...cxd4? is too late (9. Nxe6! Qb6 10. Qh5+ etc.). 8...Qe7 is the best try. (9. Nf3 fxe5 10. dxe5 Ndxe5 11. Nxe5 Nxe5 seems to win a pawn until 12. Qh5+! Nf7 13. Bxh7!! intending 14. Ng6 trapping the rook.)

7...cxd4 is a useful inclusion for several reasons. One is that it releases squares on the queenside where Black might like to put their knight or bishop, another is that it increases pressure on d4, because after 7...cxd4 8. cxd4 (8. Nxd4? drops the e-pawn), Black's pressure keeps White's knight tied down to defend d4.

After 8...f6, the main move, 9. Nf4? does not work because of this pressure. Black has 9...Nxd4! which defends e6.^[1] To prevent ...fxe5 White has to play 9. exf6, which allows Black to improve their position with 9...Nxf6. The main line continues 10. Nf3 Bd6 11. O-O, and either 11...O-O 12. Bf4 to trade off Black's good bishop, or 11...Qc7 12. Bg5.

An alternative is 8...Qb6 9. Nf3 (or in the order 7...Qb6 8. Nf3 cxd4 9. cxd4). Black's queen pressures b2, but in many of these lines the pawn is poisonous and White can move the queen's bishop away, sacrifice both the b-pawn and more, and still come out ahead due to initiative generated on the open queenside.

9...Qb4+?! 10. Bd2! Qxb2 11. Rb1 Qxa2 (Black is two pawns up) 12. Nc3 attacks the Queen, and

12...Qa5 13. Nb5 (discovered attack on queen and threatens Nc7+) Qd8 14. Ng5± with ideas like Nxe6, Qh6.
12...Qa3 and there is the extraordinary sequence 13. Nb5 (threatening Nc7+ but hanging a bishop?) Qxd3 14. Nc7+ Kd8 15. Nxe6+!! (not 15. Nxa8?) fxe6 16. Bg5+ Kc7 17. Qxd3+-.

Since the b-pawn is often poisonous, the continuations are

9...Bb4+ 10. Bd2 and White is happy to trade off Black's good bishop;
9...f6 10. exf6 Nxf6 11. O-O Bd6.

History

7. Ne2 was traditional line popular in the 19th century.^[2] It is still the mainline today, though 7. Ngf3 has gain ground as a playable alternative.

Sample game

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Position after 11. Qc2.

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Position after 17. Ng5.

Siegbert Tarrasch v Karl Eckart, Nuremburg 1889.^[2]

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2

The main line of the Closed Tarrasch variation of the French defence. White reserves the f3 square for their queen side knight.

7...Qb6 8. Nf3 Be7

Defending d4 with both knights and the pawn prevents Black from winning the pawn, however it is still a useful, freeing move to liquidate the c-pawns with 8...cxd4 9. cxd4. If nothing else, Black's bishop would have had more scope and could have developed more actively to 8...Bb4+.

9. O-O O-O 10. Nf4

White is allowed to keep the space on the kingside and can bring their pieces into a crushing attack. Black's position is too passive and their pieces too far from the king to protect it.

11..Nd8 11. Qc2

Threatens 12. Bxh7+.

11...f5?! 12. exf6 e. p. Nxf6

Black hopes forcing White to give up the f-pawn and letting them get their knight to defend the kingside will be enough, but unfortunately this takes the e7 bishop out of the defence.

Better was 11...g6 12. h4 f5 13. exf6 Rxf6.

13. Ng5

Threatens 14. Bxh7+ again.

13...g6 14. Bxg6 hxg6?? 15. Qxg6+ Kh8 16. Qh6+ Kg8 17. Ng6

18. Qh8# to follow. Black resigns 1-0.

Theory table