Black answers 1.e4 with 1...e6 and 2...d5, building a solid pawn chain and counter-attacking White's centre with ...c5 and ...f6. Black accepts a slightly cramped position in return for clear plans and a rock-solid structure. This is a intermediate opening course for Black (ECO C00) with 6 variations and 3 traps, written for players rated around 1350. Each move is explained and then drilled on a board; it is free.
Key ideas of French Defence
Strike at the base of White's pawn chain with ...c5 (against d4) and, later, ...f6 (against e5).
Pile up on d4 with ...Nc6, ...Qb6 and ...Nf5 (or ...Nh6-f5) when White plays e5.
The light-squared bishop on c8 is Black's problem piece: trade it with ...b6/...Ba6 or ...Bd7-b5, or activate it after ...f6/...e5.
When White castles long or advances on the kingside, counter-attack fast on the queenside with ...a6, ...b5 and the open c-file.
In the Winawer, give up the dark-squared bishop with ...Bxc3+ to damage White's queenside pawns, then attack the c3 pawn and the weakened dark squares.
Variations you learn
Advance Variation – 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 …. White grabs space with 3.e5. Black hits d4 at once with ...c5, ...Nc6, ...Qb6 and the knight route ...Nh6-f5, then expands on the queenside with ...b5.
Exchange Variation – 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 Bd6 5. Bd3 Ne7 …. White exchanges on d5 for a symmetrical, open position. Black frees the light-squared bishop at once, develops with ...Bd6, ...Ne7, ...Bg4 and ...Nbc6, and fights for the open e-file.
Tarrasch Variation 3.Nd2 c5 – 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 …. White plays 3.Nd2 to avoid the Winawer pin. Black strikes with 3...c5, accepts an isolated-pawn-free but open position after 4.exd5 Qxd5, and gets quick development with ...cxd4, ...Qd6, ...Nf6 and ...Nc6.
Winawer: Poisoned Pawn – 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ …. Black pins the c3 knight with 3...Bb4 and gives up the bishop to wreck White's queenside pawns. After 7.Qg4 Black lets White take g7 and h7 in return for a ferocious counter-attack on c3 and the centre.
Classical: Steinitz 4.e5 – 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 …. After 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 the knight drops back to d7 and Black hits the chain with ...c5 and ...Nc6. White builds with f4, Nf3 and Be3; Black uses ...Bc5 and a queenside pawn storm while White castles long.
Classical: 4.Bg5 Be7 – 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 …. White pins the f6 knight. Black unpins with 4...Be7; after 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 Black has traded the bad dark-squared bishop problem away and gets play with ...a6, ...c5 and ...Nc6.
Traps
Advance: the overloaded d4 pawn – In the Advance French Black piles up on d4 with knights on c6 and f5 and the queen on b6. If White castles carelessly with 9.O-O, d4 falls; and if White then recaptures on d4 with the queen, Black's queen on b6 takes it.
Warning: the Bb5+ discovered attack – A warning for Black. When White's bishop sits on d3 blocking the d-file, grabbing d4 with ...Nxd4 and ...Qxd4 looks free, but Bb5+ opens the queen's line to d4 and wins Black's queen. Always play ...Bd7 first to cover b5.
Winawer Poisoned Pawn: the ...Qc3+ fork – In the Poisoned Pawn, Black's queen on c7 eyes c3. If White carelessly opens the c-file with cxd4 and then takes a knight on d4, ...Qc3+ forks the king and the a1 rook.
The line trainer
The line trainer for French Defence has 50 lines that grow out of 1. e4 e6, learned a few new ones a day with spaced-repetition review.
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