Courses (8)

Every opening asks you to pay for something, and the Tarrasch Defense names its price out loud. In return for free development, active pieces and a clear plan, Black accepts a long-term structural weakness — most often the isolated pawn on d5. The moves that reach that position have shifted across a century of practice; the pawn on d5, and the plans it demands, have barely moved at all.
That constancy is the entire premise of Tarrasch Defense - Strategic Foundations by IM Dragos Ceres and GM Vladimir Malakhov. It is built not as a theoretical file but as a study of the structures behind it— because, as Malakhov puts it, once you recognize the structure you already know the plan.

For over a century the Tarrasch has carried a verdict it never earned — that Black concedes an isolated pawn on move four and defends it for the rest of the game; this Platinum repertoire by GM Pier Luigi Basso and IM Dragos Ceres begins from the opposite premise, using the early ...c5 and the thematic ...c4 push to gain space, fix White's structure, and play for the initiative. Built on the modern 5...Nf6 move order across 15 chapters and 100 test positions, it answers every White system after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 — the Fianchetto mainlines, the Bg5 tries, the Symmetrical e3 setups and the sidelines — with the plans behind the moves, not just the moves.

The Tarrasch Defense has long been considered a double-edged weapon in Black's arsenal against 1.d4. While offering dynamic counterplay, it traditionally came with the burden of an isolated d-pawn and positional concessions. Modern Chess presents a groundbreaking course that challenges these conventional assessments through the innovative concepts of GM Baadur Jobava and IM Kushager Krishnater.

The Tarrasch Defense has long been considered a double-edged choice for ambitious Black players seeking counterplay against 1.d4. Now, GM Michael Roiz presents a comprehensive blueprint that transforms this classical opening into a reliable equalizing weapon, with special emphasis on the cutting-edge Dubov Variation.

We're excited to present a brand-new course by GM S.P. Sethuraman, offering a powerful and modern repertoire for Black based on the bold and dynamic Tarrasch Counter-Gambit — 1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5.
In this repertoire, GM Sethuraman explores a rare but aggressive response to the Queen’s Gambit. The move 2...c5 immediately challenges White’s center and offers Black a fast track to unbalanced positions filled with counterplay, initiative, and surprise value. The Tarrasch Counter-Gambit has gained new momentum in recent years, with elite players like Hikaru Nakamura, Vladimir Fedoseev, and Shakhriyar Mamedyarov using it across all formats.

We are happy to present the new database of GM Renato Quintiliano - Play the Dubov Tarrasch. This research provides a complete repertoire for Black after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5. True to his analytical approach, GM Quintiliano submits the arising positions to in-depth analysis. In this database, you will find many new ideas and fresh positions.

The database consists of 8 huge theoretical chapters, 16 interactive test positions, a Memory Booster, and Video Version (Running Time 3h and 20 min).

We are happy to present the newest opening research by GM Pavel Eljanov. This time, he provides a complete repertoire for Black after 1.d4 d5 2.c4 e6 3.Nc3 c5
Actually, the idea of the database is not to provide another Tarrasch repertoire. The cornerstone of the current survey is the position arising after 4.cxd5 cxd4!?
For a long period of time, this gambit line was considered to be quite dubious. Recently, however, Grischuk found improvements for Black, thus bringing the entire concept back to life. The tests on the highest level proved that the variation is completely playable.
Of course, in order to provide you with a complete solution, Eljanov examines White's main alternatives on move 4 - 4.e3 and 4.Nf3.

In this database, IM Renato Quintillano is dealing with some of the most aggressive and ambitious openings after 1.d4.
He provides a repertoire against Tarrasch Defence, Semi-Tarasch Defence, Albin Countergambit, Chigorin Defence, Baltic Defence, and the exotic Australian Defence (1.d4 d5 2.c4 c5!?).