Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
1,314,493 games: White 47.8% / Draw 6.0% / Black 46.2%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 408,099408K | ||
| 286,153286K | ||
| 238,802239K | ||
| 181,600182K | ||
| 73,71174K | ||
| 50,09850K | ||
| 25,72926K | ||
| 10,67111K |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 27, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.10 The position is about equal
Best play: 6. cxd5 exd5 7. Bb5 cxd4 8. exd4 Bd6 9. Bg5 O-O 10. O-O Bg4
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
By rating
Rating changes little here: Black scores 49% both under 1400 and at 2200 and up, and 43% in master games (wins plus half the draws).
| Players | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| Under 1400 | 197K | |
| 1400–1799 | 762K | |
| 1800–2199 | 743K | |
| 2200 and up | 115K | |
| Masters, over the board | 3,590 |
Master games
- Aronian, L. – Anand, V.
- Carlsen, M. – So, W.
- Carlsen, M. – Radjabov, T.
- So, W. – Vachier Lagrave, M.
- So, W. – Karjakin, S.
Rated blitz, rapid and classical Lichess games by rating band, and over-the-board games of players rated 2200+ from the Lichess masters database, updated Sep 27, 2026
Overview
Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation (ECO D32, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Tarrasch Defense, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. e3 Nf6 5. Nf3 Nc6 (5 moves).
In 1,314,493 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 47.8%, Black 46.2% and 6.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. cxd5, in 31% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation
6. a3 scores best for White: 52.6%, with White winning 49.3% and Black 44.1% of 239K games. The most played answer, 6. cxd5, scores lowest: 50.5% in 408K games. Stockfish's first choice is 6. cxd5.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings
Popularity by year
The Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation has lost ground since 2016: 0.044% of Lichess games in 2025, down from 0.06%.
Numbers by year
| Year | Share of games | Games |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 0.06% | 21,307 |
| 2017 | 0.065% | 35,629 |
| 2018 | 0.062% | 48,324 |
| 2019 | 0.061% | 75,630 |
| 2020 | 0.057% | 166,544 |
| 2021 | 0.051% | 198,824 |
| 2022 | 0.05% | 188,511 |
| 2023 | 0.05% | 187,361 |
| 2024 | 0.047% | 168,106 |
| 2025 | 0.044% | 153,604 |
| 2026 (Jan–Apr) | 0.043% | 47,363 |
Share of rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500 (blitz, rapid and classical) that reach this position, by year; 2026: January to April. Which openings are rising and falling
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Tarrasch Defense: Symmetrical Variation (D32)”. Lichess data as of 27 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/tarrasch-defense-symmetrical-variation