C06 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black

French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line

15/15
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nd2Nf64.e5Nfd75.Bd3c56.c3Nc67.Ne2cxd48.cxd4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line293k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
54%158k51%
23%68k43%
8.3%24k41%
6.2%18k40%
1.9%5.5k40%
1.7%5.1k41%
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Leningrad Variation1.7%5.0k48%
0.9%2.6k48%
0.6%1.7k42%
0.5%1.5k46%
Famous games in this line6.1k master games
Vachier Lagrave, Maxime (2703) – Ponomariov, Ruslan (2744)20101–0Adams, Michael (2734) – Shirov, Alexei (2699)2007½–½Adams, Michael (2755) – Gurevich, Mikhail (2667)2001½–½Timman, Jan H (2655) – Morozevich, Alexander (2748)20001–0Savchenko, Boris (2632) – Ponomariov, Ruslan (2744)20101–0Adams, Michael (2720) – Gurevich, Mikhail (2643)20061–0Serious Sam, Rybka 2.0 Beta mp (2646) – Jazzled (2714)2006½–½Meier, Georg (2658) – Navara, David (2687)2009½–½
Heroes of this opening Vachier Lagrave, Maxime · Timman, Jan H · Savchenko, Boris · Adams, Michael
Family
French Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C06
Line
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4
★ Read the guide: French DefenseExplore all 212 French Defense lines →
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Leningrad VariationC06 8…Nb6
Nearby lines in the family
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional VariationC19 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 …French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Main LineC02 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 …French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation DeclinedC18 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 …
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
Videos on YouTube ↗Wikipedia: French Defense ↗