Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense, Stoltz Variation

An entry in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings (ECO D34), reached after 20 half-moves: 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bg5 Be6 10. Rc1 b6.

Black rook — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

Black queen — Use ← → arrows or click moves to step through.

End of this line

No further variations branch from this position in our database. To explore neighbouring ideas:

About this opening

Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense, Stoltz Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings, classified under code D34. ECO group D (D00–D99) covers closed games and semi-closed games beginning 1.d4 d5, covering the Queen's Gambit, Slav, Grünfeld and related queen-pawn structures. This particular variation is reached after 20 half-moves from the starting position, with the move sequence 1. d4 d5 2. c4 e6 3. Nf3 c5 4. cxd5 exd5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Nf6 7. O-O Be7 8. Nc3 O-O 9. Bg5 Be6 10. Rc1 b6.

It belongs to the Queen's Gambit Declined family. Within that family this is a level-2 branch (the Tarrasch Defense → Stoltz Variation line). The immediate parent line is Queen's Gambit Declined: Tarrasch Defense, transitioned via 10…b6.

The opening sequence in prose form: 1.d4 d5, 2.c4 e6, 3.Nf3 c5, 4.cxd5 exd5, 5.g3 Nc6, 6.Bg2 Nf6. From this position the encyclopaedia records no further canonical continuations — practical play branches into unnamed transpositions or returns to the parent line for alternative ideas.