C00-C19
French Defense
1. e4 e6 2. b3 About This Opening
The French Defense (1.e4 e6) leads to strategic battles where Black accepts a space disadvantage for a solid structure and counterplay against White's center. Popular with positional players.
Famous Games
- Botvinnik vs Tal, 1960 World Championship
- Short vs Timman, 1991
Variations
130 found C00 C00 C00 C00 C00 C00 C00 C00 C00 C00 C01 C01 C01 C00 C00 C00 C00 C00 C00 C01 C01 C01 C01 C02 C03 C03 C10 C10 C00 C00 C00 C00 C01 C01 C02 C02 C02 C10 C10 C11 C11 C11 C15 C15 C15 C15 C02 C07 C07 C10 C10 C10 C11 C12 C16 C00 C01 C02 C02 C11 C12 C14 C15 C17 C17 C01 C02 C02 C04 C07 C13 C14 C15 C18 C01 C02 C12 C12 C12 C12 C15 C17 C01 C01 C01 C02 C02 C07 C11 C12 C12 C12 C13 C14 C14 C14 C14 C14 C15 C18 C18 C10 C11 C11 C14 C14 C14 C14 C14 C19 C01 C01 C01 C02 C02 C14 C02 C07 C12 C12 C12 C11 C11 C12 C02 C02 C02 C07 C07 C12
Reti (Horwitz) Variation, French
e4 e6 b3 Banzai-Leong Gambit, French
e4 e6 b4 Bird Invitation, French
e4 e6 Bb5 Steinitz Attack, French
e4 e6 e5 Bourdonnais (La Bourdonnais) Variation, French
e4 e6 f4 Reti-Spielmann Attack, French
e4 e6 g3 Queen's Knight, French
e4 e6 Nc3 Knight Variation, French
e4 e6 Nf3 Chigorin Variation, French
e4 e6 Qe2 Franco-Hiva Gambit, French
e4 e6 d3 f5 Baeuerle Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 b5 Franco-Hiva Gambit I, French
e4 e6 d4 f5 Mediterranean Defense, French
e4 e6 d4 Nf6 Papa-Ticulat Gambit, French
e4 e6 b3 d5 Bb2 Alapin; Witaker Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Be3 Diemer-Duhm Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 c4 Pelikan Variation, French
e4 e6 Nc3 d5 f4 Two Knight Variation, French
e4 e6 Nc3 d5 Nf3 Two Knights Variation, French
e4 e6 Nf3 d5 Nc3 Schlechter Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Bd3 Perseus Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nf3 Morphy Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nh3 Exchange Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Extended Bishop Swap, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 Bd7 Morozevich Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 Be7 Haberditz Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 f5 Marshall Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 c5 Rubinstein Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Orthoschapp Variation, French
e4 e6 c4 d5 cxd5 exd5 Qb3 Alapin-Diemer Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Be3 dxe4 f3 Reuter Gambit, French
e4 e6 f4 d5 Nf3 dxe4 Ng5 Wing Gambit, French
e4 e6 Nf3 d5 e5 c5 b4 Monte Carlo Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 c4 Carlson Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nf3 dxe4 Ne5 Frenkel Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 b4 Nimzovich Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Nf3 Nimzovich Attack, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Qg4 Rasa-Studier Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Be3 Svenonius Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 exd5 Swiss Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bd3 Henneberger Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Be3 Steinitz Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 e5 Winckelmann-Riemer Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 a3 Fingerslip Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Bd2 Delayed Exchange Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 exd5 Alekhine (Maroczy) Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Ne2 French Defense: Gifted Center
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 dxc5 Bxc5 Shaposhnikov Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 c5 exd5 Nf6 Chistiakov Defense, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 c5 exd5 Qxd5 Ellis Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 e5 Blackburne Defense, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Nd7 Frere; Becker; Katilimov, Maric Var, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Qd5 Burn Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 dxe4 McCutcheon Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 Petrosian Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 Qd7 Reversed Philidor, French
e4 e6 d3 d5 Nd2 Nf6 Ngf3 Nc6 Be2 Svenius Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Paulsen Attack, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3 Ruisdonk Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Nf3 cxd4 Bd3 Gledhill Attack, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 Qg4 Wolf Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 Nge2 Anderssen (Richter) Attack, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 Bxf6 Schwarz's Line, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Bd2 Ne7 Nb1 Bogoljubow Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 Bd2 Moscow Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 Qg4 French Defense: Bishop's Path
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Bd3 Nc6 c3 Bd6 Euwe Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3 Bd7 Wade Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Qb6 Nf3 Bd7 Guimard Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 Nc6 Ngf3 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 French Defense: Rapid Development
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 c5 exd5 Qxd5 dxc5 Bxc5 Vistaneckis (Nimzovich) Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Ng8 Tartakower Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Ne4 Kunin Double Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Bd2 dxe4 Qg4 Qxd4 Swiss (Retreat) Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 Ba5 Canal Attack, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 exd5 exd5 Bd3 Ne7 Qh5 Milner-Barry Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3 Qb6 Bd3 Olland (Dutch) Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Bc1 Janowski Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Be3 Bernstein Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Bh4 Chigorin Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 exf6 Kondratiyev Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Bd3 c5 exd5 Qxd5 Bd2 Icelandic Defense, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 Bd2 Ne7 f4 French Defense: Quiet Knight
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Nc3 Nf6 Nf3 Bb4 Bd2 O-O French Defense: Bishop Swap
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Bd3 Nc6 Nf3 Nb4 O-O Nxd3 French Defense: Bishop Tempo
e4 e6 d4 d5 Bd3 dxe4 Bxe4 Nf6 Bf3 c5 Ne2 Be7 Lputian Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3 Qb6 a3 Nh6 French Defense: Knight's Tempo
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Nf3 cxd4 Qxd4 Nc6 Bb5 Ne7 French Defense: The Standoff
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 c5 Ngf3 cxd4 Nxd4 Nc6 Bb5 Ne7 French Defense: Center Riposte
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 Nf3 c5 Bg5 Qb6 Lasker Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Bd2 Bxc3 Tartakower Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Bd2 Nfd7 French Defense: Pawn Break
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Bh4 g5 Frankfurt Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Ng8 Be3 b6 Classical Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 Bxe7 Qxe7 Maroczy Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 h4 a6 Breyer Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 h4 c5 Teichmann Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 h4 f6 Spielmann Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 h4 O-O Kan Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Ne2 dxe4 a3 Bxc3+ Nxc3 Nc6 Armenian Line, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 Ba5 b4 cxd4 Maroczy-Willis Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 cxd4 axb4 dxc3 Capablanca Line, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Nd7 Nf3 Ngf6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 Ne5 Bradford Attack, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 f4 c5 dxc5 Bxc5 Qg4 Boleslavsky Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 f4 c5 Nf3 Nc6 Be3 Tarrasch Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 Bxe7 Qxe7 Bd3 Steinitz Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 Bxe7 Qxe7 f4 Alapin Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 Bxe7 Qxe7 Nb5 Rubinstein Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 Bxe7 Qxe7 Qd2 Pollock Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 Bxe7 Qxe7 Qg4 Poisoned Pawn Variation, French Winawer
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 Bxc3+ bxc3 Ne7 Qg4 French Defense: Tempo Trap
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 c4 Bb4+ Nc3 Nf6 Nf3 O-O Be2 dxc4 French Defense: Symmetry Pin
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Nf3 Nf6 Bd3 Bd6 O-O O-O c3 Bg4 French Defense: Mirror Defense
e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Nf3 Nf6 Bd3 Bd6 O-O O-O Bg5 Bg4 French Defense: The Unpin
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Nf3 cxd4 Nxd4 Ne7 Nc3 Nbc6 Bb5 Bd7 French Defense: Central Majority
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Nf3 cxd4 Nxd4 Ne7 Nc3 Nbc6 Nxc6 Nxc6 Albin-Chatard Gambit, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Be7 e5 Nfd7 h4 Bxg5 hxg5 Qxg5 French Defense: Queenside Strangle
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Qb6 Nf3 Nc6 a3 c4 Nbd2 Na5 Be2 Bd7 French Defense: Center Explosion
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 c5 c3 cxd4 cxd4 dxe4 Nxe4 Bb4+ Bd2 Qxd4 Qa4+ Nc6 French Defense: Poison Pawn
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 exf6 hxg5 fxg7 Rg8 Qh5 Qf6 Duras Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Bd2 Bxc3 bxc3 Ne4 Qg4 Kf8 Bc1 Grigoriev Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 exf6 hxg5 fxg7 Rg8 h4 gxh4 Qg4 Brodsky-Jones Variation, French
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 f4 c5 dxc5 Nc6 a3 Bxc5 Qg4 O-O Nf3 f6 French Defense: Center Challenge
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 e5 Nfd7 f4 c5 Nf3 Nc6 Be3 cxd4 Nxd4 Bc5 Qd2 O-O French Defense: Bishop Wrecker
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Bd2 Bxc3 bxc3 Ne4 Bd3 Nxd2 Qxd2 c5 French Defense: Pawn Snatcher
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Qb6 Nf3 Nc6 Be2 cxd4 cxd4 Nge7 O-O Nf5 Be3 Qxb2 Nbd2 Be7 French Defense: Central Takedown
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Qb6 Nf3 Nc6 Be2 cxd4 cxd4 Nge7 O-O Nf5 Nc3 Nfxd4 Nxd4 Qxd4 French Defense: Calculated Heist
e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Qb6 Nf3 Nc6 Bd3 cxd4 cxd4 Bd7 O-O Nxd4 Nxd4 Qxd4 Nc3 a6 French Defense: Bishop's Snipe
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 c5 c3 cxd4 cxd4 dxe4 Nxe4 Bb4+ Nc3 Nf6 Nf3 O-O Bd3 b6 O-O Bb7 French Defense: Queen Jaunt
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 c5 exd5 Qxd5 Ngf3 cxd4 Bc4 Qd6 O-O Nf6 Nb3 Nc6 Nbxd4 Nxd4 Nxd4 Be7 French Defense: Castle Wrecker
e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5 Bb4 e5 h6 Bd2 Bxc3 bxc3 Ne4 Qg4 g6 Bd3 Nxd2 Kxd2 c5