1.e4,e6 2.d4,d5 3.Bd3 how is this called?In a book I have it's called the Tartakower variation,but a search on the web revealed it is named the Slechter variation.The only (french)Tartakower variation I found on the web is a line in the french McCutcheon.
Does anyone know the correct name?
Sir Lot.
I believe it is called the Schlechter Variation. The classical Tartakower variation is this: 1.e4 - e6 2.d4 - d5 3.Nc3 - Nf6 4.Bg5 -Be7 5.e5 - Ne4.
And indeed there is not only a line in the classical, but also in the MacCutcheon, and the moves are: 1.e4 - e6 2.d4 - d5 3.Nc3 - Nf6 4.Bg5 - Bb4 5.e5 - h6 6.Bd2 - Nfd7
According to "The Oxford Companion to Chess" 3.Bd3 has no name.
It was played by many players in the XIX Century.
Keres wrote: "Adopted on occasion by Lasker, this move causes black no difficulty".
Schlechter used it from time to time as a surprise weapon in a famous game of the Wien Tournament in 1898 and in a match game vs Tarrasch:
Schlechter - Showalter
Wien 1898
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nf3 c5 6.c3 Nc6 7.0-0 Qb6 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.b4 Be7 10.Re1 a6 11.Qc2 h6 12.Qe2 Qc7 13.Nbd2 Na7 14.Bb2 Nb6 15.Rac1 Na4 16.Ba1 b5 17.Nd4 Bd7 18.Qg4 g5 19.c4 bxc4 20.Bxc4 dxc4 21.Nxc4 Rc8 22.Nd6+ Bxd6 23.Rxc7 Bxc7 24.Qd1 Nb6 25.Nf5 Nd5 26.Nd6+ Bxd6 27.exd6 0-0 28.Qd4 f6 29.Qxa7 Rf7 30.Qxa6 Nxb4 31.Qb7 Nd3 32.Rb1 Nf4 33.Bxf6 Rc2 34.Qe4 Re2 35.Rb8+ Rf8 36.Rxf8+ Kxf8 37.Qb1 e5 38.h3 e4 39.Qb8+ Kf7 40.Qd8 Bc6 41.Qe7+ Kg6 42.Qg7+ Kh5 43.Bxg5 1-0
Schlechter - Tarrasch
Cologne Match, 1911
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 dxe4 4.Bxe4 Nf6 5.Bd3 c5 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.Nf3 0-0 8.0-0 Nc6 9.Qe2 Qc7 10.Nc3 Bd7 11.Bg5 Be7 12.Rad1 Rfd8 13.Nb5 Qb8 14.c3 a6 15.Nbd4 Qc7 16.Rfe1 Qa5 17.Nxc6 Bxc6 18.Ne5 Be8 19.Qf3 Qc7 20.Qh3 g6 21.Qh4 Nd5 22.Bxe7 Qxe7 ½-½
Tartakower played it many times. In his book "My Best games of Chess 1905-1930" he wrote: "Oe of those rarely seen moves wich, nevertheless, have rather more sting than is generally realised".
With this line Tartakower won some games at top level:
Tartakower - Spielmann
Wien 1913
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Nf6 6.e5 Nd7 7.0-0 Qb6 8.dxc5 Bxc5 9.Qe2 Qc7 10.Bf4 Be7 11.c4 Nb4 12.Nbd2 Nxd3 13.Qxd3 Nb6 14.Rac1 dxc4 15.Nxc4 Nxc4 16.Rxc4 Qa5 17.Bd2 Qxa2 18.Rfc1 Bd7 19.Rc7 Rd8 20.Rxb7! Bc6 21.Rxe7+! Kxe7 22.Bg5+ f6 23.exf6+ gxf6 24.Bxf6+! Kxf6 25.Qc3+ Ke7 26.Qc5+ Rd6 27.Qg5+ Ke8 28.Qe5 Rg8 29.Qxd6 Bxf3 30.Rc8+ Kf7 31.Qf4+ 1-0
Tartakower - Saemisch
Karlsbad 1923
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Bd3 dxe4 4.Bxe4 Nf6 5.Bd3 c5 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.Nf3 Nc6 8.0-0 Bd7 9.Nc3 Nb4 10.Ne5 Nxd3 11.Qxd3 Bc6 12.Qg3 0-0 13.Bh6 Ne8 14.Nxc6 bxc6 15.Rad1 Qc8 16.Rd3 f6 17.Ne4 Be7 18.Rfd1 Rf7 19.Be3 Bf8 20.Bc5 f5 21.Ng5 Bxc5 22.Nxf7 Kxf7 23.Rd7+ Kg8 24.Qg5 h6 25.Qg6 Bf8 26.Qf7+ Kh7 27.Qxf8 1-0
Originally posted by IronMan31As a player who always struggles on the white side of the French, this interests me, why do modern masters not play this move still? Tartakower was obviously very strong so presumably Bd3 is not a bad move is it purely fashion or is there a major flaw in this move?
According to "The Oxford Companion to Chess" 3.Bd3 has no name.
It was played by many players in the XIX Century.
Keres wrote: "Adopted on occasion by Lasker, this move causes black no difficulty".
Schlechter used it from time to time as a surprise weapon in a famous game of the Wien Tournament in 1898 and in a match game vs Tarrasch:
Schlechter - ...[text shortened]... f8 20.Bc5 f5 21.Ng5 Bxc5 22.Nxf7 Kxf7 23.Rd7+ Kg8 24.Qg5 h6 25.Qg6 Bf8 26.Qf7+ Kh7 27.Qxf8 1-0
Originally posted by claretnblueI too struggle facing the french.Flawed as this line may be,it gave me at least one good OTB win.
As a player who always struggles on the white side of the French, this interests me, why do modern masters not play this move still? Tartakower was obviously very strong so presumably Bd3 is not a bad move is it purely fashion or is there a major flaw in this move?
Probably more by surprise and my oppo not knowing how to handle it than by soundness.But hey,I won! 😀
Originally posted by SirLoseALotListen to my friend IronMan31. He is much wiser than I am and has more experience and knowledge, so please forget my post. I am sure IronMan31 is telling the thruth and not me. 😳
1.e4,e6 2.d4,d5 3.Bd3 how is this called?In a book I have it's called the Tartakower variation,but a search on the web revealed it is named the Slechter variation.The only (french)Tartakower variation I found on the web is a line in the french McCutcheon.
Does anyone know the correct name?
Sir Lot.
- Joined
- 20 Oct 02
- Moves
- 601285
Originally posted by IronMan31Bd3 eventually gets played for white in many different lines of the French Ironman31. What is the major difference of seeing it on move 3 as to say , move 4,5, or 6?
According to "The Oxford Companion to Chess" 3.Bd3 has no name.
It was played by many players in the XIX Century.
Keres wrote: "Adopted on occasion by Lasker, this move causes black no difficulty".
Schlechter used it from time to time as a surprise weapon in a famous game of the Wien Tournament in 1898 and in a match game vs Tarrasch:
Schlechter - ...[text shortened]... f8 20.Bc5 f5 21.Ng5 Bxc5 22.Nxf7 Kxf7 23.Rd7+ Kg8 24.Qg5 h6 25.Qg6 Bf8 26.Qf7+ Kh7 27.Qxf8 1-0