The French Defense for Black

The French Defense for Black

1.e4 e6

The French Defense arises after 1.e4 1...e6: Black prepares 2...d5 and attacks White's centre without entering a slugfest in an open game. It is a fighting defence for club players who like closed positions and clear plans: you attack White's pawn chain with the levers c5 and f6. This course is built from 59,583 games of all the player collections on this site; Stockfish checked every position. After 2.d4 2...d5 (88 % of the games) White has four main roads: against 3.Nc3 you play the Winawer Variation with 3...Bb4 – after 4.e5 4...c5 5.a3 5...Bxc3+ White gets the bishop pair, and you get targets on c3 and c2. Against the Tarrasch Variation 3.Nd2 you reply 3...c5 and often play with the isolated pawn on d5 and active pieces. Against the Advance Variation 3.e5 you put d4 under pressure with 3...c5, Nc6, Bd7 and Qb6 – including a trap in the Milner-Barry Gambit. The Exchange Variation 3.exd5 leads to symmetrical, quiet positions. The course also covers the King's Indian Attack with 2.d3.

• Attack the chain at its base: when a white pawn stands on e5, c5 is your first lever against d4. Then you attack the head e5 with f6 or f5 – if White takes on f6, the f-file opens for your rook.
• In the Winawer Variation White has doubled pawns after Bxc3+. Their targets are c3 and c2: with Qa5, Qc7 or a bishop on a4 you put them under pressure; with c4 you close the queenside and drive White's bishop from d3.
• Watch h7 and g7: without your dark-squared bishop White attacks with Qg4 and Qh5. Against mate on h7 you put a knight on g6 or block the diagonal with f5.
• The knight often belongs on e7 rather than f6: from there it can go to f5, g6 or c6, and the f-pawn stays free for the lever f6.
• With the isolated pawn on d5 in the Tarrasch Variation you need active pieces: bishops to d6 and g4, the knight via e7 to f5, and with h6 you take the square g5 away from White's bishop.
• Against the Advance Variation you build up pressure on d4 with Nc6, Qb6 and cxd4. When the bishop leaves c1, b2 is often unprotected – and if White sacrifices d4, you take it and secure your queen with a6 against a knight on b5.