Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: Steinitz Attack
3/3
1.e4e62.e5
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Steinitz Attack2.5M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
61%1.5M55%
12%306k54%
7.2%178k55%
4.9%119k51%
3.9%97k50%
3.1%76k49%
1.6%40k52%
1%24k50%
0.9%22k50%
0.9%21k49%
Famous games in this line57 master games
Markovic, Miroslav (2480) – Sedlak, Nikola (2593)Mestrovic, Zvonimir (2470) – Dizdar, Goran (2525)Sedlak, N. (2605) – Muckle, Julius (2373)Tishin, Petr (2462) – Nalivajko, Evgeny (2481)Golubka, P. (2478) – Gritsak, O. (2464)Feller, S.. (2568) – Crut, A.. (2359)Megaranto, S. (2548) – Medina, W. (2375)Markovic, Miroslav (2525) – Certic, Branimir (2396)Heroes of this opening Sedlak, N. · Tishin, Petr · Golubka, P. · Feller, S..
- Family
- French Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C00
- Line
- 1. e4 e6 2. e5
Aggressive
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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