French Defence
C00 · Played as black · Beginner · French
Closed centre, queenside counterplay, fight for e5
Also known as French, e6 defence, Classical French.
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.
Where the line leads
White's plans
- Complete development and castle — the king is still on e1 — before pushing f4-f5 or Qg4
- Meet Black's queenside counterplay solidly before overextending
- Trade off Black's problematic light-squared bishop, still home on c8, when the chance arises
Black's plans
- Follow up the already-played …c5 with …f6 to undermine White's e5 pawn
- Add queenside pressure with …Rc8 and piece play against d4
- Activate the light-squared bishop via …b6-…Ba6 since it's boxed in on c8
French Defence FAQ
- What are the moves of the French Defence?
- The French Defence (C00) runs 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. It is played from Black's side of the board.
- What is the idea behind the French Defence?
- Closed centre, queenside counterplay, fight for e5. In practice that means: 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.
- Is the French Defence good for beginners?
- Yes — it is rated Beginner here, which means the moves follow from a handful of ideas rather than from memorised theory.
- What are the plans after the French Defence?
- White: Complete development and castle — the king is still on e1 — before pushing f4-f5 or Qg4. Black: Follow up the already-played …c5 with …f6 to undermine White's e5 pawn.