C12 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Grigoriev Variation
17/17
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Nf64.Bg5Bb45.e5h66.exf6hxg57.fxg7Rg88.h4gxh49.Qg4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Grigoriev Variation3.1k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
93%2.9k44%
2.8%8525%
1.7%5437%
1.1%3550%
0.8%2552%
0.3%831%
0.2%771%
0%10%
0%10%
0%10%
Famous games in this line34 master games
Gonzalez, Bolívar Ribeiro (2557) – Pessoa, Francisco Azevedo (2525)Saenko, Oleg (2558) – Hyldkrog, Lars (2497)Fernandez Romero, Ern (2468) – Ibarra Jerez, JC. (2510)Siigur, Jüri (2520) – Jonckheere, Peter (2424)Barczay, Laszlo (2391) – Hoang, Thanh Trang (2465)Schuller, Jean-Claude (2376) – Szymanski, Robert (2430)Martin Gonzalez, Angel (2440) – Rahal, Michael (2330)Schuller, Jean-Claude (2379) – Mourato, Mário (2356)Heroes of this opening Hoang, Thanh Trang · Martin Gonzalez, Angel
- Family
- French Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C12
- Line
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. exf6 hxg5 7. fxg7 Rg8 8. h4 gxh4 9. Qg4
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From the archives
In 1834 the city of Paris beat the city of London in a correspondence match opening with 1...e6, and the defense 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