French Defense

The French Defense (French Defense in British usage) answers 1. e4 with 1...e6, intending ...d5 on the next move. The preliminary pawn move means that if White captures on d5, Black can retake with a pawn and keep a foothold in the center. The cost is the c8-bishop, which is shut in behind the e6-pawn and is often called the French bishop. The Caro-Kann prepares ...d5 with 1...c6 instead, which frees that bishop but takes c6 away from the knight. The opening takes its name from an 1834 correspondence match between London and Paris, in which Jacques Chamouillet of the Paris side argued for its use.

White nearly always continues 2. d4, and after 2...d5 must decide what to do about the e4-pawn. It can be defended with 3. Nc3, the Paulsen Variation, or with 3. Nd2, the Tarrasch. It can advance with 3. e5, the Advance Variation, or exchange with 3. exd5, the Exchange Variation. The Exchange gives a symmetrical structure that frees Black's light-squared bishop and is generally considered harmless. After 3. Nc3, the main replies are 3...Bb4, the Winawer, 3...Nf6, the Classical, and 3...dxe4, the Rubinstein. Black can also meet 2. d4 with 2...c5, the Franco-Sicilian.

When White's pawn reaches e5, the chains point toward opposite wings. Black has queenside space and almost always plays ...c5 early to hit d4 at the base of the chain. A queen on b6 adds to the pressure, and ...f6 is a second lever against e5. White aims at the kingside, often with a bishop on d3 trained on h7, the f2-f4-f5 advance, or a piece attack. The more recent plan of a3 and b4 instead takes queenside space from Black. Black must also find work for the problem bishop, for example via ...Bd7-a4, ...b6 and ...Ba6, or ...Qb6 and ...Bd7-b5.

Among White's other second moves, 2. Nf3 and 2. Nc3 are common and frequently transpose to 2. d4 lines; 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 reaches the Paulsen. Other options include 2. d3, the King's Indian Attack, and 2. f4, the La Bourdonnais Variation. Rarer still are 2. c4 (Steiner), 2. b3 (Horwitz), 2. Qe2 (Chigorin) and 2. e5 (Steinitz Attack).

The French is known for its solidity, though lines such as the Winawer become very sharp. Steinitz dismissed it as dull. Géza Maróczy was probably the first world-class player to rely on it, and Botvinnik, Nimzowitsch, Korchnoi, Petrosian, Uhlmann and Vaganian all shaped its theory. Later advocates include Bareev, Morozevich, Short and Ding Liren. For decades it has typically ranked third among replies to 1. e4, after 1...c5 and 1...e5. On Lichess the results are evenly split between White and Black, and the engine rates the position as roughly balanced.