Mediterranean Defense

The Mediterranean Defense postpones the customary 2...d5 of the French and develops the king's knight at once, hitting e4. The approach is provocative. Black lets White gain space with tempo and hopes the advanced pawns become overextended targets. The most common reply is 3. e5, which drives the knight away, typically to d5. The resulting positions resemble the Alekhine Defense, except that Black has already committed to ...e6 rather than the more usual ...d6. The engine prefers this advance and rates White as clearly better, and White also scores somewhat ahead in practice.

White can instead head for familiar territory with 3. Nc3, when 3...d5 transposes to the Classical French. The almost equally frequent 3. Bg5 reaches a position also catalogued under the Trompowsky Attack as the Classical Defense, Big Center Variation. 3. Bd3 simply protects the pawn. The pawn offer 3. Nf3 is dubious. After 3...Nxe4 4. Bd3 Nf6, White has some compensation but probably not enough. Overall the line is an offbeat alternative to the main French move orders.