The French Defence is one of the most solid and most strategic answers to 1.e4. After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 Black builds a sturdy pawn chain and prepares queenside counterplay. The main branches are gathered here: the Winawer, the Classical, the Tarrasch, the Advance and the Exchange. At each branching point, choose which line to play.
The thin arrow on the board shows the next move.
You can also play the move on the board: pick the piece up and put it on the square.
The starting position. Choose your moves - at a branching point several continuations are available.
The dimmed moves are the rest of the main line, and the dots mark branching points. Click any move to jump to that position.
The French begins with the modest 1...e6, opening the way for the f8 bishop, and then 2...d5, a strike at the centre. Black deliberately accepts a slightly cramped position in return for solidity and a clear plan.
The main strategic theme is the struggle around the pawn chain. White usually grabs space while Black strikes at the base of the chain with ...c5 and ...f6, developing counterplay on the queenside.
The French's main problem is the bad light-squared bishop on c8, shut in by its own pawns. Much of the whole opening revolves around how Black can get that piece into play.
After 2.d4 d5 White chooses the character of the game. 3.Nc3 leads to the most critical lines: the sharp Winawer (3...Bb4) and the Classical (3...Nf6). 3.Nd2 (the Tarrasch Variation) is the more flexible, quieter route that does not block the c-pawn.
If White wants to fix the structure at once, he plays 3.e5 (the Advance Variation), locking the centre, or 3.exd5 (the Exchange Variation) - a symmetrical, quiet and rather underrated line.
The French is built on a conscious compromise: with 1...e6 Black prepares a solid ...d5 but shuts in his own c8 bishop. Everything that follows is an attempt either to trade that bishop off or to stop it being bad.
The plan is clear: strike at White's pawn chain with ...c5 (and sometimes ...f6), and press on d4 with knights from c6 and f5 or with the queen from b6. While the d4-e5 chain stands, White has the space; once it collapses, the weaknesses are his.
What not to do is play passively. If Black has not started ...c5 in time, White calmly prepares a kingside attack and the c8 bishop never sees daylight.
The main route is 3.Nc3 or 3.Nd2 followed by e4-e5 and a grab of space. The d4-e5 pawn chain cramps Black while the pieces swing to the kingside, where the opponent has fewer defenders.
The second most popular is the Exchange Variation 3.exd5 exd5. It looks drawish, but it is precisely here that Black loses his main idea: the c8 bishop is finally free, yet the ...c5 counterplay is gone. For a practical game it is not a bad choice.
And third, the immediate advance 3.e5. White fixes the structure and plays c3, Nf3 and Bd3 with an attacking plan. The main thing is to shore up d4 in time, because that is where Black will hammer all game.
The typical set-ups this opening leads to - learn them, and the plan follows by itself.
After 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7. White has doubled c-pawns and space, Black has pressure on the d4 pawn and play on the queenside.
After 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6. The centre is locked; Black presses on the base of the chain - the d4 pawn and b2 - while White holds the space and plays on the kingside.
After 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5. White has grabbed space with the d4-e5-f4 chain, and Black strikes at it with ...c5 and ...f6.
These are the main named variations. Click any one of them and it loads straight onto the board above, where you can play it out move by move. The trainer itself holds more lines than this: it also covers main-line continuations and transpositions that have no name of their own.
What to avoid, and what catches an unprepared opponent.
Black's main concern is the light-squared bishop, shut in by the pawns on e6 and d5. Do not leave it passive: plan ...b6 and ...Ba6, or a trade, or it will spend the whole game as a spectator.
In the sharp Winawer White often grabs the g7 pawn with the queen. It is a well-known theoretical sacrifice - do not panic: for the pawns Black has counterplay on the g-file and in the centre, but the play has to be precise.
The ...f6 break is a strong weapon, but do not open the centre before your pieces are developed: otherwise White uses the open e- and f-files against your king first.
Traps in other openings - the 12 most common opening traps.
Take a short quiz and find out which chess opening suits your MBTI personality type - 16 types, each with its own opening and a walkthrough on the board.
The main drawback is the bad light-squared bishop on c8, shut in by its own pawns on e6 and d5. In return Black gets a very solid position and clear queenside counterplay.
Yes, it is logical and far less full of early traps than the open games. The plans are clear (the pawn chain, the ...c5 and ...f6 breaks, queenside play), so it is often recommended to those who like solid strategic chess.
It is the razor-sharp line 3.Nc3 Bb4: Black pins the c3 knight and presses on e4. After 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 an asymmetrical structure arises - Black damages White's pawns while White gets space and the two bishops.
The exchange 3.exd5 exd5 leads to symmetry and a drawish reputation, but that is deceptive: the position is full of play. Black should develop actively, avoid hurrying into exchanges, and use the symmetry to take over the initiative gradually.
Want the tactics that decide these positions? Start with the 12 most common opening traps and tactics for beginners. If you are just starting out, read the rules of chess and how to set up the board.
Pairings are computed by bbpPairings, an open-source engine implementing the Dutch system by FIDE rules: score groups, floats on an odd field, colour alternation. Free to use.
Vibe Chess runs chess meetups - networking evenings in cities across Russia: Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Kazan, Yekaterinburg, Novosibirsk and more. For companies we run corporate chess tournaments, and every city and format is gathered on the home page.
Open the Vibe Chess app - it has the schedule of meetups and chess events across the cities, the registration and your own tournaments.
