C16 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation
7/7
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Bb44.e5
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation2.0M games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
14%271k48%
4.7%92k37%
1.6%31k50%
1.5%29k40%
0.6%13k39%
0.4%8.4k41%
0.3%6.4k43%
0.3%5.8k41%
Famous games in this line25k 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 (2773) – Carlsen, Magnus (2843)Anand, V. (2754) – Carlsen, M. (2853)Giri, A. (2782) – Caruana, F. (2816)Carlsen, Magnus (2815) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2779)Heroes of this opening Caruana, Fabiano · So, W. · Carlsen, M. · Ivanchuk, Vassily
- Family
- French Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C16
- Line
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5
Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Petrosian VariationC16 4…Qd7French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow VariationC17 4…c5 5.Bd2 · 1 deeper lineFrench Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Moscow VariationC17 4…c5 5.Qg4French Defense: Winawer Variation, Retreat VariationC17 4…c5 5.a3 Ba5 · 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