Beat the French: Tarrasch
Sidestep the Winawer with 3.Nd2. One setup against every French structure, with a clear kingside attack.
Train this repertoire freeChapters
Each chapter shows its main line move by move, with the coach's comments.
- 113 lines
Closed Variation (3...Nf6)
Let's learn the Anti French: Tarrasch variation! We dodge all the messy Winawer pins by parking our knight on d2 instead of c3, keeping the c-pawn free to meet Black's breaks...
Read the chapter - 29 lines
Open System (3...c5)
The knight looks awkward blocking our bishop, but there's a method here: we sidestep the razor-sharp Winawer while keeping c3 ready to cement our center when Black strikes with...
Read the chapter - 35 lines
Rubinstein (3...dxe4)
The Tarrasch setup. We dodge the sharp Winawer and keep c3 ready to back our center against Black's typical ...c5 break.
Read the chapter - 45 lines
Sidelines (3...Nc6, 3...Be7, 3...c6, 3...a6)
The knight looks odd here, blocking our own bishop, but there's method to it. We sidestep the sharp Winawer completely and keep c2-c3 ready when Black tries the typical c5 break.
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About this repertoire
A complete White repertoire after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2.
Skip the deep Winawer prep. The Tarrasch keeps c2-c3 ready to glue our center together when Black hits with c5, and forces every French setup into structures we know cold.
What you'll learn
Closed Variation (3...Nf6)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7
Black's main response. We push e5 to lock the center and build the typical French structure. The plan: develop with Bd3, Ne2, castle short, then launch a kingside attack with h4-h5 while Black tries to free the queenside with ...c5.
Open System (3...c5)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 c5 4.Ngf3
Black smacks our center on move 3. We embrace the Isolated Queen Pawn position, blockade d4, and grind down the IQP with patient piece play. Bd3, O-O, Qe2, Re1 is the cookie-cutter setup.
Rubinstein (3...dxe4)
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4
Black gives up the center for a passive but solid setup. We grab space, develop naturally, and steer toward long-castle attacks with Bd3 and Qe2.
Sidelines
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 Be7 / a6 / b6 / Nc6
The grab-bag chapter for everything else Black tries. 3...Be7, 3...a6, 3...b6 and the rare 3...Nc6 all get concrete answers.
Why this repertoire?
- Avoid the Winawer. No 3.Nc3 Bb4 pin, no doubled c-pawn structure, no decade-old theory wars.
- Same setup, every line. Bd3, Ne2, O-O, c2-c3 works against almost everything. Learn the plans once.
- Three structures to learn. The Closed Variation gives you a kingside attack, the Open gives you IQP technique, the Rubinstein gives you space.
Train the Beat the French: Tarrasch repertoire
Play every line on the board and let spaced repetition bring back the moves you forget. Free to start.
Train this repertoire free