C15 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: Winawer Variation
6/6
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Bb4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Winawer Variation3.9M games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
9.5%371k52%
6%236k53%
2.7%106k54%
1.1%44k48%
0.7%28k53%
0.6%22k47%
Famous games in this line32k master games
Aronian, L. (2775) – Carlsen, M. (2872)Caruana, F. (2817) – So, W. (2822)Karjakin, Sergey (2778) – Carlsen, Magnus (2843)Caruana, Fabiano (2835) – Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2784)Caruana, Fabiano (2835) – Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2784)Caruana, Fabiano (2773) – Carlsen, Magnus (2843)Anand, V. (2754) – Carlsen, M. (2853)Giri, A. (2782) – Caruana, F. (2816)Heroes of this opening Caruana, Fabiano · So, W. · Carlsen, M.
- Family
- French Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C15
- Line
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance VariationC16 4.e5 · 19 deeper linesFrench Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip VariationC15 4.Bd2 · 3 deeper linesFrench Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine-Maróczy GambitC15 4.Ne2 · 4 deeper linesFrench Defense: Winawer Variation, Delayed Exchange VariationC15 4.exd5 · 1 deeper line
Nearby lines in the family
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