♟ Chess Openings

C00-C19

French Defense

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

106 found

French Attack, Petroff

e4 e5 Nf3 Nf6 Nxe5 d6 Nf3 Nxe4 d3

Reti (Horwitz) Variation, French

Papa-Ticulat Gambit, French

e4 e6 b3 d5 Bb2

Banzai-Leong Gambit, French

Bird Invitation, French

Orthoschapp Variation, French

e4 e6 c4 d5 cxd5 exd5 Qb3

Reversed Philidor, French

e4 e6 d3 d5 Nd2 Nf6 Ngf3 Nc6 Be2

Franco-Hiva Gambit, French

Baeuerle Gambit, French

Schlechter Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Bd3

Alapin; Witaker Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Be3

Alapin-Diemer Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Be3 dxe4 f3

Diemer-Duhm Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 c4

Extended Bishop Swap, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 Bd7

Frenkel Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 b4

Paulsen Attack, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3

Euwe Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3 Bd7

Lputian Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3 Qb6 a3 Nh6

Milner-Barry Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3 Qb6 Bd3

Wade Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Qb6 Nf3 Bd7

Nimzovich Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Nf3

Ruisdonk Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Nf3 cxd4 Bd3

Nimzovich Attack, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 Qg4

Exchange Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5

Monte Carlo Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 c4

Svenius Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Nc3 Nf6 Bg5

Winckelmann-Riemer Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 a3

Fingerslip Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Bd2

Kunin Double Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Bd2 dxe4 Qg4 Qxd4

Schwarz's Line, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Bd2 Ne7 Nb1

Kondratiyev Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Bd3 c5 exd5 Qxd5 Bd2

Swiss (Retreat) Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 Ba5

Armenian Line, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 Ba5 b4 cxd4

Poisoned Pawn Variation, French Winawer

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 Bxc3+ bxc3 Ne7 Qg4

Maroczy-Willis Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 cxd4 axb4 dxc3

Bogoljubow Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 Bd2

Icelandic Defense, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 Bd2 Ne7 f4

Moscow Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 Qg4

Petrosian Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 Qd7

Delayed Exchange Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 exd5

Canal Attack, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 exd5 exd5 Bd3 Ne7 Qh5

Alekhine (Maroczy) Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Ne2

Kan Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 Ne2 dxe4 a3 Bxc3+ Nxc3 Nc6

Marshall Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 c5

Rubinstein Variation, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4

Rasa-Studier Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Be3

Ellis Gambit, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 e5

Blackburne Defense, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Nd7

Capablanca Line, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Nd7 Nf3 Ngf6 Nxf6+ Nxf6 Ne5

Frere; Becker; Katilimov, Maric Var, French

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 dxe4 Nxe4 Qd5

And 56 more variations...