Tarrasch Defense: Wagner Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
24,798 games: White 53.6% / Draw 6.0% / Black 40.4%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,7617,761 | ||
| 6,6836,683 | ||
| 3,5403,540 | ||
| 2,2892,289 | ||
| 1,8501,850 | ||
| 1,8241,824 | ||
| 376376 | ||
| 182182 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 1, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.66 White is slightly better
Best play: 8. Bg5 Be7 9. Qa4 cxd4 10. Nxd4 Bd7 11. O-O h6 12. Bxf6 Bxf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
Tarrasch Defense: Wagner Variation (ECO D33, Closed & Semi-Closed Games) is a variation of the Tarrasch Defense: Prague Variation, reached after 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nc3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. Nf3 Nc6 6. g3 Nf6 7. Bg2 Bg4 (7 moves).
In 24,798 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 53.6%, Black 40.4% and 6.0% were drawn. White's most played move here is 8. dxc5, 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: Wagner Variation
8. Ne5 scores best for White: 64.4%, with White winning 61.4% and Black 32.7% of 3,540 games. The most played, 8. dxc5, scores 52.4% in 7,761 games, and 8. e3 scores lowest: 52.3%. Stockfish's first choice is 8. Bg5.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “Tarrasch Defense: Wagner Variation (D33)”. Lichess data as of 1 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/tarrasch-defense-wagner-variation