should i quit the tarrasch defence because of this line?

i get this line more and more frequently and to be honest my result is ok for now until people learn my lines in it but looking in my book it looks horrible. im using sam collins tarrasch dvd and he gives the game Lámi,E-Aagard,J helsingor 2012. White messed up on move 20 so black was able to get a comfortable draw instead of beeing in big trouble. I dont see how black has any compensation for white bishoppair its not pretty. Maybe its time to try something sounder but similar if that exist.

U can change your line early in this variation and play 5...Nf6 instead of 5...Nc6. Now 6. dxc5 is not good for white.

thanks for the suggestion but i think its considered a mistake by black as white can gain an useful tempo on blacks darksquared bishop with Bg5 and dxc4

that is a very fun gambit but i have put down that idea because i think white can simply sidestep the entire gambit moveordering around it with a early Nf3 and suddenly im back into the tarrasch defence . maybe i should consider something like dxc4 after Nf3 and learning a line in the QGA hm...

yeah black played perfect still white got the bishoppair for no compensation that i can tell

yeah but i cut alot of standard tarrasch theory by going hennig schara gambit so maybe taking up a line in the QGA isnt that big of a deal

There are other lines with 5...Nf6. For example:

and black are actually fine.

yeah black is fine after 8.dxc5. sadly if white instead plays 8.e4  whites attack is so dangerous i cant find

anything else than giving a pawn to white on c6 and hoping to survive the endgame. if black doesnt play exactly like in the lines i gave he seems to just lose instantly

So - Akobian, US Championship 2015 is a(n) (in)famous game with this line. The game ended abruptly after 6.dxc5 by a forfeit claim on illegal notetaking. Maybe the notetaking wasn't the only thing that unsettled Akobian.

If you don't like these positions, I would consider learning an alternate defense since this line has been getting more attention lately. Maybe you could consider the Ragozin or QGA if you like the active piece play typical of the Tarrasch.

Okay, TheDrevland, U almost convinced me that the Tarrasch defense is dangerous for black.

nice lines guys i will try out that Scara gambit Pfren

intermediatedinoz: i think so and kasparov played it until he played it against Karpov but i think no matter what opening you play you are in trouble if you got a pawnweakness against Karpov.

BoggleMeBrains: actually i find black gets alot of activity in all the lines and its white who often loses fast if he isnt well prepared. I never suffer from draws. Even in the line i complained about i havent had any problems OTB yet. You need the right attitude to play with IQP if you get it and start defending it its just a weakness. You need to be willing to instead put pieces on your open files and diagonals and attack white. exploiting your better space and often you just let your opponent take your IQP pawn. If your opponent survives he is in a endgame where the dpawn is a weakness which is not gonna win him the game if it is his only weakness. If you fire up Hydra it will say white is better but OTB its easier said than done

6.dc is why I stopped playing the Tarrasch. The gambit line is interesting but I don't think Black can enter it if White plays Nf3 before Nc3. I suppose the "professional" thing to do against an early Nf3 would be to play the queen's gambit declined while White can't go into a good exchange variation anymore but that's not to everyone's taste. Maybe a combination of the Schara gambit and the Vienna gambit can lead to interesting games? Idunno..

i have actually considered the queens gambit declined since i have noticed chessteachers say understanding the QGD is key to understanding the whole 1.d4 d5 complex

 10.a3 is a good supriseweapon against someone around your rating as they may not know the tarrasch theory. I think you can wing it in most tarraschlines but here black needs to know the spesifics. The pawnsacrifice 10..Ne4! give black fun and interestning play where he isnt worse than white. He isnt "scratching around for a draw"

9...d4 looks interesting too but Avrukh says it isn't sound.

yeah my book gives this as best for both sides calling it a refutation of blacks play and saying blacks position is close to disintegration. i have no idea whats going on in the resulting position what a mess!

 ah i see. out of curiosity what did you end up playing instead of the tarrasch? i want to keep playing 1.d4 d5 since i worked out the 1.d4 d5 variations without 2.c4 so i consider the QGD i will decide when Nikos Ntirils QGD book comes out this spring. I agree that few people will remember 10...Ne4 cold . In our clubs you face the same opponents many times so when you play 10.a3 against someone, when you face him again in a few weeks he knows exactly what is coming and prepare the week before.