French Defense C00

C — Open games & French · Family: French Defense

1. e4 e6

The French Defense (1.e4 e6) prepares 2...d5, immediately challenging e4 with a solid pawn chain. Black accepts a modest position — the notorious "problem" light-squared bishop — in exchange for a rock-solid structure and rich strategic play, which is why the French has served pragmatic warriors from Botvinnik and Korchnoi to modern top grandmasters.

White chooses between the strategically rich Classical (3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5), the sharp Winawer (3...Bb4) with its doubled pawns and bishop-versus-knights play, the advancing 3.e5 space-grab, and the positional Tarrasch (3.Nd2). Typical French plans include the thematic breaks ...c5 and ...f6, pressure on White's center, and famously good endgame prospects.

Play through the moves on the board above, explore the variations tree below — click any move of any branch — then test yourself against the engine from the position you picked.

Position after 2 half-moves — White to move.
Material is balanced.
Family “French Defense” contains 212 recorded variation(s) here.

Variations tree of the French Defense family

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212 variations of “French Defense” · win% from 1.5M rated games · ♞ Test your knowledge vs engine

Variations of this family

Name	ECO	Main line length
French Defense	C00	4 plies
French Defense: Alapin Gambit	C00	5 plies
French Defense: Baeuerle Gambit	C00	4 plies
French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit	C00	3 plies
French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit, Pinova Gambit	C00	5 plies
French Defense: Bird Invitation	C00	3 plies
French Defense: Carlson Gambit	C00	7 plies
French Defense: Chigorin Variation	C00	3 plies
French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit	C00	5 plies
French Defense: Diemer-Duhm Gambit Accepted	C00	6 plies
French Defense: Franco-Hiva Gambit	C00	4 plies
French Defense: Franco-Hiva Gambit Accepted	C00	5 plies