Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: Classical Variation, Pollock Variation
13/13
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Nf64.Bg5Be75.e5Nfd76.Bxe7Qxe77.Qg4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Classical Variation, Pollock Variation71k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
70%50k44%
12%8.4k48%
7.4%5.3k48%
2.8%2.0k46%
2.4%1.7k43%
2.3%1.7k42%
1.9%1.4k39%
0.7%53238%
0.3%18240%
0.1%7537%
Famous games in this line34 master games
Gunina, V.. (2431) – Bacrot, E.. (2674)Llaneza Vega, Marcos (2514) – Gleizerov, Evgeny (2565)Obolenskikh, Dmitry (2466) – Rakhmanov, Alexander (2590)Ibarra Jerez, Jose Carlos (2496) – Larino Nieto, David (2426)Gavilan Diaz, M. (2287) – Anton Guijarro, D. (2631)Fercec, Nenad (2466) – Jusic, Zdenko (2432)De la Riva Aguado, Oscar (2460) – Mellado Trivino, Juan (2430)Kosteniuk, Alexandra (2469) – Mkrtchian, Lilit (2395)Heroes of this opening Bacrot, E.. · Rakhmanov, Alexander · Larino Nieto, David · Fercec, Nenad
- Family
- French Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C14
- Line
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Qg4
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From the archives
Paris challenged London by correspondence in January 1834; the match took about two years, Paris met 1.e4 with 1...e6, and Paris won. The defence has carried the name ever since. Botvinnik and Korchnoi built careers on its cramped-then-counterpunch character: concede space, then break with ...c5 or ...f6 at the right moment.
Study this opening