Winawer: Poisoned Pawn is variation 4 of 6 in the French Defence course, a intermediate opening course for Black (ECO C18). It runs 26 moves and begins 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 …. 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. In the lesson every move is explained on a board and then drilled; it is free.
Move by move
1. e4 – White takes the centre and opens lines for the queen and the f1 bishop.
1... e6 – Black prepares ...d5 with the e6 pawn as a solid support.
2. d4 – White builds the classical two-pawn centre.
2... d5 – Black challenges e4 at once.
3. Nc3 – The most natural move: the knight defends e4 and develops.
3... Bb4 – The Winawer: Black pins the c3 knight, which now cannot defend e4 properly, and threatens ...dxe4.
4. e5 – White gains space and closes the centre, which makes Black's dark-squared bishop less useful.
4... c5 – The standard break: Black hits d4 at once, the base of White's pawn chain.
5. a3 – White asks the bishop to decide at once.
5... Bxc3+ – Black gives up the bishop pair to double White's c-pawns and leave White's queenside weak.
6. bxc3 – Forced recapture; White now has doubled c-pawns but the bishop pair and more space.
6... Ne7 – The knight develops to e7 because f6 is controlled by e5; from e7 it can go to f5 or c6, and it defends g6.
7. Qg4 – White attacks the weakened g7 pawn now that Black's dark-squared bishop has gone.
7... Qc7 – The Poisoned Pawn: Black lets g7 go and counter-attacks c3 and e5. In return Black will open the c-file and win back material in the centre.
8. Qxg7 – White takes the pawn and hits h7 too.
8... Rg8 – The rook comes to the g-file with tempo on the queen.
The lesson goes on for 10 more moves, each with its explanation.
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