Ponderchess / Openings
Play the guided film, or select a scene to pause and study its position.
Opening
The Tarrasch Defense in 3D
1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5. Black strikes at the centre at once and accepts an isolated d-pawn in return for free, active piece play.
Rebuild the sequence yourself. The board responds to each move, and hints are available.
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Your turn · white to play
Select a piece, then its destination. Switch to 2D for a clear overhead view or rotate the 3D board to explore the position.
Tarrasch Defense: Tarrasch Gambit, move by move: d4 d5 c4 e6 Nc3 c5 cxd5 exd5 …
The white pieces
Blockade the isolated pawn on d4, pressure d5 with the g2 bishop, Bg5 and the rooks on the d-file, and aim to trade pieces, since the pawn grows weaker in an endgame.
The black pieces
Use the open lines: develop actively with ...Be6 or ...Bg4, ...Re8 and ...Ne4, and look for the ...d4 advance or a kingside attack before White can simplify.
Look a little deeper · 01
After 4.cxd5 exd5 5.Nf3 Nc6 6.g3, the Rubinstein System, Black usually ends up with an isolated queen's pawn on d5. The bishop on g2 presses on it, and the main line continues 6...Nf6 7.Bg2 Be7 8.O-O O-O.
Look a little deeper · 02
From there the Classical Variation branches with 9.Bg5, adding pressure on d5, and 9.dxc5, after which Black recaptures with 9...Bxc5 or plays 9...d4.
Look a little deeper · 03
Gambits appear on both sides. The Schara Gambit (4...cxd4) gives a pawn for quick development, and the Marshall Gambit (5.e4) is White's attempt to break the centre at once.
Tarrasch Defense: Tarrasch Gambit, move by move: d4 d5 c4 e6 Nc3 c5 cxd5 exd5 …
Keyboard: Space pauses, the arrow keys step. Gold arrows are White's moves, violet are Black's, red rays are threats, green shows support, blue shows plans.
