1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Bd3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.Ne2 cxd4 8.cxd4 opens the French Defence, Tarrasch Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4... 8.cxd4, ECO C06. Lichess records 434,905 games in this line, which gives us a reliable view of how it actually performs in practice.
History and Notable Players
It arises from the French Defence, Tarrasch Variation: Nf6. On the White side, Michele Godena (43 games), Sergei Tiviakov (37 games), Eduardas Rozentalis (28 games) top the database. Notable Black exponents: Sergey Volkov (76 games), Evgeny Gleizerov (66 games), Emanuel Berg (55 games).
Performance Across Rating Levels
How well the French Defence, Tarrasch Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4... 8.cxd4 works depends on what level you're playing at. The 1200 bracket has 514 games (0.00% of all games at that level); White wins 55.1%, Black 42.4%, 2.5% are drawn. Move up to 1800 Elo and the share shifts to 0.01%, with White winning 51.8% versus Black's 43.7%. At 2500, 0.08% of games go into this opening; draws sit at 9.9% — the line is well-mapped at this level. White's edge erodes by 8.8pp from 1200 to 2500 Elo, suggesting Black's counterplay is easier to find with experience.
Time Control Patterns
Time control matters here: blitz players reach for this opening more than others. In bullet, it appears in 0.01% of games (195,821); White wins 49.5%. Blitz shows 0.01% adoption across 396,431 games, White scoring 49.6%. In rapid, the share rises to 0.00% — 38,474 games, White 50.4%.
Move Diversity and Theory Depth
Move choice is far from uniform in the French Defence, Tarrasch Variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4... 8.cxd4. At 1200 Elo, the top reply is f6, played 54% of the time. There are 4 other moves seeing meaningful share, and 86.2% of games stick to established theory. Entropy: 1.94. By 2500, f6 dominates at 92.3% of replies; only 1 viable alternatives remain and 98% of moves are theory. Entropy drops to 0.56. The narrowing is significant — strong players consolidate around a small set of best moves, while amateurs scatter across many plausible-looking options.
Historical Trends
Long-term, the trajectory of this opening is informative. Adoption peaked in 2017 at 0.01% (17,109 games). By 2025 it sits at 0.01% — a 172% shift overall, leaving the line on the rise.
Common Mistakes
- Drifting away from main theory — At 400 Elo, theory adherence sits at 77.8% — versus 88.4% at 2000. The most popular deviation is Bb4 (played 11.1% of the time at 400, much less so up top). It looks fine but quietly hands the better-prepared side an edge.
- Neglecting development — Extra pawn moves in the opening are tempting, especially when you "know the moves". Developing a piece each turn is the simple correction.
- Drifting into passivity — These openings are solid, but solid is not synonymous with passive. Look for the right moment to break with a central pawn advance — without it, your pieces stay cramped.
Practice on Chessiverse
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