Semi-Open · a defense for Black

French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Icelandic Defense

11/11
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Bb44.e5c55.Bd2Ne76.f4
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Bogoljubow Variation, Icelandic Defense3.9k games · Black to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
47%1.8k46%
22%84045%
15%58147%
5.2%20358%
4.6%17841%
2.3%9048%
1.4%5648%
1.2%4850%
0.4%1732%
0.3%1335%
Famous games in this line109 master games
Wahls, Matthias (2560) – Dokhoian, Yury (2545)1991½–½Watson, William N (2500) – Lputian, Smbat G (2540)1988½–½De la Villa Garcia, Jesus Maria (2458) – Kolev, Atanas (2582)2000½–½Gallagher, Joseph G (2558) – Pelletier, Yannick (2478)2000½–½De la Villa Garcia, Jesus Maria (2481) – Arizmendi Martinez, Julen Luis (2532)2009½–½Watson, William N (2500) – Knaak, Rainer (2505)19871–0Mastrovasilis, Dimitrios (2462) – Buhmann, Rainer (2527)20020–1Thorhallsson, Throstur (2480) – Djurhuus, Rune (2505)1996½–½
Heroes of this opening Watson, William N · Buhmann, Rainer
Family
French Defense
Category
Semi-Open
First move
1.e4
ECO
C17
Line
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. Bd2 Ne7 6. f4
★ Read the guide: French DefenseExplore all 212 French Defense lines →
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Nearby lines in the family
French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack3…Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4French Defense: Advance Variation, Main Line3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 …French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 …
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.

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