Semi-Open · a defense for Black

French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Bradford Attack Variation

13/13
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Nf64.e5Nfd75.f4c56.dxc5Bxc57.Qg4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Bradford Attack Variation7.1k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
65%4.6k39%
20%1.4k46%
6.4%45341%
2.8%20240%
2.7%19441%
1.4%9634%
1.1%7547%
0.7%4840%
0.1%922%
0%333%
Famous games in this line23 master games
Ovetchkin, Roman (2543) – Volkov, Sergey (2628)20060–1Ovetchkin, Roman (2507) – Riazantsev, Alexander (2572)20041–0Narmontas, Matas (2367) – Gurevich, Mikhail (2627)20070–1Ovetchkin, Roman (2557) – Pap, Gyula (2427)20071–0Ovetchkin, Roman (2507) – Kryakvin, Dmitry (2420)2004½–½Ovezov, Artek (2366) – Vallejo Pons, Francisco (2554)20001–0Ovetchkin, Roman (2532) – Erashchenkov, Denis (2384)20051–0Bartel, Mat (2573) – Aakash, G. (2300)2025½–½
Heroes of this opening Ovetchkin, Roman · Volkov, Sergey · Gurevich, Mikhail · Ovezov, Artek
Family
French Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C11
Line
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Bxc5 7. Qg4
Aggressive
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Nearby lines in the family
French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Capablanca Line3…dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 6.Nxf6 …French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Kasparov Attack3.Nd2 dxe4 4.Nxe4 Nd7 5.Nf3 Ngf6 …French Defense: Classical Variation, Alapin Variation4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 …
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
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