French Variation

The French Variation arises after 1. Nf3 d5 2. g3 c5 3. Bg2 Nc6. Black does not shut in the c8-bishop with ...e6. The queen's knight instead backs up a later ...e5, letting Black set up a wide pawn front and take more space while White's center stays behind the g2-bishop. In effect Black takes on the role normally held by White against a King's Indian Defense.

The most common reply, 4. O-O, keeps to the usual KIA scheme. After 4...e5 5. d3 Nf6 the game becomes the Reversed King's Indian, where White plays the King's Indian Defense structure with an extra tempo and aims to undermine Black's center. The sharper 4. d4 challenges the center at once and leads to the Zukertort Opening: Reversed Grünfeld. It gives White the best results of the main options. 4. d3 is a quieter move that delays castling. Engines rate the position as roughly balanced and favor 4. d4, 4. c4 and 4. O-O. White scores well in online play.