C15 · Semi-Open · a defense for Black

French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit, Kan Variation

12/12
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Bb44.Ne2dxe45.a3Bxc3+6.Nxc3Nc6
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit, Kan Variation10k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
55%5.6k50%
20%2.1k47%
16%1.6k55%
4.5%46346%
3.2%32660%
1.1%11438%
0.5%4841%
0.1%1250%
0%2100%
0%10%
Famous games in this line653 master games
Moussard, J. (2600) – Caruana, F. (2798)2024½–½Pichot, A. (2581) – Salem, AR. (2640)2025½–½Swiercz, D. (2620) – Mishra, Abhimanyu (2592)2023½–½Bauer, Christian (2627) – Pelletier, Yannick (2579)2006½–½Amonatov, Farrukh (2648) – Ivanov, Sergey1 (2551)20091–0Stripunsky, Alexander (2570) – Shulman, Yuri (2613)20100–1Stefansson, Vignir Vatnar (2546) – Chigaev, M. (2632)2025½–½Solodovnichenko, Yuri (2574) – Edouard, Romain (2602)20111–0
Heroes of this opening Amonatov, Farrukh · Shulman, Yuri · Solodovnichenko, Yuri
Family
French Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C15
Line
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Ne2 dxe4 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Nxc3 Nc6
Gambit
★ Read the guide: French DefenseExplore all 212 French Defense lines →
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Nearby lines in the family
French Defense: St. George Defense, Traditional LineC00 2…a6 3.Nf3 b5 4.Bd3 c5 5.c3 …French Defense: Advance Variation, Lputian VariationC02 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 …French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Lasker VariationC12 3…Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 5.e5 h6 6.Bd2 …
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.

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