this occurs after 1 d4 d5 2 c4 e6 3 Nc3 3 c5 4 cxd5 exd5.

What do you think about it? I haven't played it yet but it looks interesting because white has the option of giving black an isolated d pawn but it does a good job of controlling the center and preventing e4. So with a better center, wouldn't this give black dynamic chances?

Put up a puzzle of it so we can see it better.

  Mikhail Tal played the Tarrasch Defense quite successfully.  He liked the moves ...1.Nf6  and ...2.e6.  That way he could switch in and out of the Modern Benoni, Nimzo-Indian or the Queens' Gambit Declined.

  Black will play with an isolated queen pawn in this defense.

Fortune favors the brave.

Thanks for sharing, Gonnosuke!

The Tarrasch is a fine defense just know the IQP positions.  If you want to mix it up use the Henning-Schaara variation of the Tarrasch. Not for the faint of heart.

I´m thinking of playing the Tarrasch too. Kasparov and Spassky played it in the past. Since Karpov-Kasparov 1984-1985 Kasparov stopped playing it, because Karpov found a solid way for white.

Look at chessvibes.com for an annotated game in the SPICE-cup recently.

Good luck with it.

I think black can have a good chance to get the initiative.