Semi-Open · a defense for Black
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation
14/14
1.e4e62.d4d53.Nc3Bb44.e5c55.a3Bxc3+6.bxc3Ne77.Qg4Qc7
Live databaseLichess 1600–2000 · blitz + rapid
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation106k games · White to move
MoveWhite / draw / BlackPlayedGamesScore
72%77k46%
10%11k48%
2.8%3.0k40%
2.3%2.4k41%
1.9%2.0k37%
0.3%32530%
0.3%32152%
0.2%25941%
0.2%25132%
Famous games in this line2.4k master games
Anand, Viswanathan (2791) – Ivanchuk, Vassily (2779)Carlsen, M. (2830) – Rapport, R. (2719)Aronian, L. (2782) – Duda, J. (2756)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2775) – Radjabov, T. (2731)Karjakin, Sergey (2786) – Nepomniachtchi, Ian (2703)Karjakin, Sergey (2756) – Nepomniachtchi, I. (2721)Volokitin, And (2681) – Nepomniachtchi, I. (2773)Vachier Lagrave, M. (2728) – Rapport, R. (2720)Heroes of this opening Anand, Viswanathan · Carlsen, M. · Duda, J. · Karjakin, Sergey
- Family
- French Defense
- Category
- Semi-Open
- First move
- 1.e4
- ECO
- C18
- Line
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 Qc7
Sharp
★ Read the guide: French DefenseExplore all 212 French Defense lines →Keep exploring
Go deeper — named lines from here
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation Declined8.Bd3French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation, Main Line8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Ne2French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation, Paoli Variation8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Kd1
Nearby lines in the family
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.
Study this opening