French Defence
C00 · Played as black · Beginner · French
Closed centre, queenside counterplay, fight for e5
The main line
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7 7.f4 c5 8.Nf3 Nc6 9.Be2 O-O
Strategic ideas
- Build counterplay with …c5 to attack White's d4 pawn directly
- Use the …f6 break to undermine White's e5 pawn advance
- Develop the bad bishop via …b6 and …Ba6 or after …f6 exchanges
- Exploit the e5 square for knight outposts once White's pawn moves
- Create queenside pressure while White attacks on the kingside
Key themes
- Positional — The French is a long-term structural battle, not a tactical brawl — patience and planning are essential
- Counterattack — Black invites White to advance in the centre then undermines it with …c5 and …f6
- Space — White gains space with e5, but Black fights back with queenside expansion and piece activity
Typical plans
Black plays …e6 and …d5 to contest the centre, accepting a potentially restricted light-squared bishop as the main concession. The critical break is …c5, targeting White's d4 pawn directly. Against White's e5 advance, Black plans …f6 or a queenside expansion with …Qb6 and …c4. Positions are typically closed and reward deep strategic understanding over tactical improvisation.
Move by move
- e4 — White claims the centre.
- e6 — Black prepares …d5 while accepting the light-squared bishop may be restricted for a while.
- d4 — White builds a full pawn centre.
- d5 — Black strikes back, directly challenging e4.
- Nc3 — White defends e4 and develops.
- Nf6 — Black adds pressure to e4, inviting White to advance.
- Bg5 — White pins the knight, adding pressure toward d5 and e4.
- Be7 — Black breaks the pin and prepares to castle.
- e5 — White gains space by advancing, securing a kingside bind but fixing a target for Black's later …f6 or …c5 breaks.
- Nfd7 — Black retreats the knight, keeping it flexible to support …c5 and …f6 while getting out of the way of the coming pawn breaks.
- Bxe7 — White trades off the dark-squared bishop before it can be kicked further by …f6.
- Qxe7 — Black recaptures with the queen, keeping the structure intact.
- f4 — White supports the e5 pawn in advance, the classical Steinitz approach.
- c5 — Black strikes at d4 immediately, the standard French counterattack.
- Nf3 — White develops, adding a second defender to d4.
- Nc6 — Black develops, adding pressure to d4 and preparing …f6 or …cxd4 later.
- Be2 — White develops modestly, keeping the position solid ahead of castling.
- O-O — Black castles into safety, ready to continue queenside or central counterplay.