Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: Rubinstein Variation
6/6
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3dxe4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Rubinstein Variation3.9M games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
88%3.4M53%
10%392k58%
0.4%15k55%
0.4%15k48%
0.4%14k50%
0.1%4.8k51%
0.1%4.8k51%
0.1%2.2k51%
0.1%2.2k45%
0.1%2.1k46%
Famous games in this line5.8k master games
So, W. (2815) – Carlsen, M. (2832)Kasparov, Garry (2851) – Anand, Viswanathan (2769)Kasparov, Garry (2851) – Anand, Viswanathan (2769)Kasparov, Garry (2838) – Ponomariov, Ruslan (2727)Nakamura, Hi (2787) – Harikrishna, P. (2763)Anand, Viswanathan (2788) – Gelfand, Boris (2758)Aronian, L. (2764) – So, W. (2778)Aronian, L. (2764) – So, W. (2778)Heroes of this opening Kasparov, Garry · Nakamura, Hi
- Family
- French Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C10
- Line
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Ellis Gambit4.Nxe4 e5French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Maric Variation4.Nxe4 Qd5French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense4.Nxe4 Nd7 · 1 deeper lineFrench Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Fort Knox Variation4.Nxe4 Bd7 5.Nf3 Bc6
Nearby lines in the family
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