The Tarrasch Defense, Prague Variation - Main Strategical Ideas and Plans
32We Are continuing our d4 theory with some Queen’s gambit studies. Today’s lesson will be how to play the Tarrasch Defense of the Queen’s gambit declined with some beautiful tactical and strategical elements.
PGN OF THE GAMEs IN THE VIDEO:
[Event "Karlsbad"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/kxfoPIYE"]
[Date "1923.??.??"]
[Round "4"]
[White "Rubinstein, Akiba"]
[Black "Spielmann, Rudolf"]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2640"]
[BlackElo "2550"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[TimeControl "-"]
[ECO "D33"]
[Opening "Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation"]
[Termination "Normal"]
[Annotator "lichess.org"]
1. d4 d5 2. Nf3 c5 3. c4 e6 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nc3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 { D33 Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation } 7. Bg2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Nb3 Bb6 10. O-O Be6?! { (0.23 → 1.21) Inaccuracy. d4 was best. } (10... d4 11. Na4 O-O 12. Bg5 Re8 13. Nxb6 axb6 14. e3 d3 15. Bxf6 gxf6 16. Qd2 Bg4 17. h3) 11. Bg5 h6 12. Bxf6 Qxf6 13. Nxd5 Bxd5 14. Qxd5 O-O 15. Rab1 Rad8 16. Qf3 Qe5 17. e3 a5?! { (1.95 → 2.70) Inaccuracy. Qb5 was best. } (17... Qb5 18. Rfe1) 18. Rfd1 Rxd1+ 19. Qxd1 a4 20. Nd2 Rd8 21. Qe2 Qe6 22. b3? { (2.93 → 1.50) Mistake. Ra1 was best. } (22. Ra1 Rd4 23. Rc1 Rb4 24. Nc4 Ne5 25. Nxb6 Qxb6 26. Rc8+ Kh7 27. Rc2 Qg6 28. Bd5 Qf5) 22... Ne5? { (1.50 → 3.00) Mistake. a3 was best. } (22... a3 23. Nc4 Bc5 24. Bxc6 Qxc6 25. b4 Bf8 26. Nxa3 Bxb4 27. Rxb4 Qc1+ 28. Kg2 Qxa3 29. Qc4) 23. Nc4 axb3 24. axb3 Bc7?! { (3.32 → 4.19) Inaccuracy. Rb8 was best. } (24... Rb8 25. Qh5) 25. Nxe5 Bxe5 26. Bxb7 Qb6?! { (3.85 → 4.84) Inaccuracy. Qg6 was best. } (26... Qg6 27. Rd1 Rxd1+ 28. Qxd1 Qf6 29. b4 g6 30. Qa4 h5 31. Bd5 Kg7 32. h4 Bd6 33. Qb3) 27. Qf3 Rd2 28. Be4 g6 29. Kg2 h5 30. h4 Kg7 31. Bd5 Bf6?! { (2.85 → 4.02) Inaccuracy. f5 was best. } (31... f5) 32. Rc1 Qd6 33. e4 Qe7? { (3.82 → 7.67) Mistake. Ra2 was best. } (33... Ra2 34. Rc6) 34. Qe3? { (7.67 → 3.89) Mistake. Qf4 was best. } (34. Qf4) 34... Ra2 35. Qb6?! { (4.42 → 3.20) Inaccuracy. Rc6 was best. } (35. Rc6 Qa7) 35... Be5 36. Rd1?? { (3.13 → 1.07) Blunder. Qe3 was best. } (36. Qe3 Qb4 37. Rc4 Qd2 38. Qxd2 Rxd2 39. Kf1 f5 40. Ke1 Rd4 41. Ra4 fxe4 42. Bxe4 Rb4) 36... Qd7?? { (1.07 → 3.55) Blunder. g5 was best. } (36... g5 37. b4) 37. Rd3 Qe7 38. b4 Rb2 39. b5 Qd7 40. Bc4 Qg4?! { (4.67 → 6.75) Inaccuracy. Qc8 was best. } (40... Qc8 41. Bb3 Qg4 42. Qb7 Kh6 43. Bd1 Qe6 44. Qc6 Qxc6 45. bxc6 Rb6 46. Ba4 Rb4 47. Bb3) 41. Qb7 Kh6 42. Rf3?! { (7.06 → 4.71) Inaccuracy. Qd5 was best. } (42. Qd5 f6) 42... Rc2? { (4.71 → 8.72) Mistake. Bxg3 was best. } (42... Bxg3 43. Rxg3) 43. Bd5 Bf6? { (7.14 → Mate in 9) Checkmate is now unavoidable. Rxf2+ was best. } (43... Rxf2+ 44. Kxf2) 44. Rxf6 { Black resigns. } 1-0
[Event "18th Delhi Open 2020"]
[Site "https://lichess.org/kT3vS9Hz"]
[Date "2020.01.13"]
[Round "7.20"]
[White "Ponkratov, P."]
[Black "Navalgund, N."]
[Result "1-0"]
[WhiteElo "2622"]
[BlackElo "2246"]
[Variant "Standard"]
[TimeControl "-"]
[ECO "D33"]
[Opening "Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation"]
[Termination "Normal"]
[Annotator "lichess.org"]
1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nf6 6. g3 Nc6 { D33 Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation } 7. Bg2 cxd4 8. Nxd4 Bc5 9. Nb3 Bb6 10. O-O d4 11. Na4 O-O 12. Bg5 Re8 13. Nxb6 axb6 14. e3 d3 15. a3 Bf5 16. Qf3 Be4 17. Bxf6 Bxf3 18. Bxd8 Bxg2 19. Kxg2 Raxd8 20. Rfd1 Rd5?! { (0.54 → 1.11) Inaccuracy. Ne5 was best. } (20... Ne5 21. Rac1 Rc8 22. Rxc8 Rxc8 23. Nd4 g6 24. Kf1 Nc4 25. b3 Nxa3 26. Rxd3 Kf8 27. Ke1) 21. Rac1 f5 22. Rc3 Red8 23. Nd4 Nxd4?! { (2.06 → 2.95) Inaccuracy. Ne5 was best. } (23... Ne5 24. Rb3) 24. Rcxd3 Rb5?! { (2.96 → 3.74) Inaccuracy. Kf7 was best. } (24... Kf7) 25. R1d2 Kf7 26. Rxd4? { (2.95 → 1.48) Mistake. b4 was best. } (26. b4) 26... Rxd4 27. exd4 Rb3 28. d5 Ke7 29. d6+ Kd7 30. h4 h5?! { (1.17 → 1.98) Inaccuracy. g6 was best. } (30... g6 31. Kh3) 31. Rd5 g6 32. Rd2 b5 33. Kf1 f4 34. Kg2 fxg3 35. f3 Re3 36. Kxg3 Re5 37. Kf4 Rf5+ 38. Ke4 Rf6?! { (2.23 → 3.15) Inaccuracy. b4 was best. } (38... b4 39. axb4) 39. Rd5 Re6+ 40. Kf4 Rf6+ 41. Kg5 Rxf3 42. Kxg6 Rb3 43. Rd2 b4 44. axb4 Rg3+ 45. Kxh5 Rg1 46. Kh6 Rg4 47. h5 Rg3 48. Rd5 Rg2 49. b5 b6 50. Rg5 { Black resigns. } 1-0