French Defence: plans, main lines and a classic trap
The French Defence starts 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5. Black lets White keep a strong centre for a while, then attacks it with the pawns: …c5, and later …f6.
It is solid and full of plans, a favourite of players who like to counterattack. Botvinnik, Korchnoi and Uhlmann made it famous.
The Advance Variation
With 3.e5 White gains space and builds a pawn chain, d4–e5. Black answers with the rule for every pawn chain: attack its base. The base is d4, so Black strikes it with …c5 and then piles up on it with the knight and the queen.
The Winawer
The sharpest line is the Winawer, 3.Nc3 Bb4. Black pins the knight and is ready to give the bishop for it, doubling White’s pawns. White gets the two bishops and chances on the kingside; Black gets a solid position and targets on the queenside.
Plans to remember
- Attack the base of the chain. Black hits d4 with …c5 and e5 with …f6.
- Mind the bad bishop. Black’s light-squared bishop on c8 is shut in by the pawns on e6 and d5. Trade it, or bring it out via d7 to b5 or after …b6 to a6, before it becomes a problem.
- White attacks on the kingside, where the space won by e5 gives the pieces room.
Exercise: a classic trap
After 6.Bd3 cxd4 7.cxd4 Black played 7…Nxd4? 8.Nxd4 Qxd4?? and grabbed a pawn. White to move: win the queen.
Make the move on the board: drag a piece, or click it and then a square.
Solved!
9.Bb5+! gives check and opens the d-file: the queen on d1 now attacks the queen on d4. Black must deal with the check, and White takes the queen. The pawn on d4 only looked loose: the queen on d1 was aiming at it from behind the bishop on d3, and the check cleared the way.
Key points
- The French Defence: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5, a solid opening built on counterattack.
- Against a pawn chain, attack its base: …c5 against d4, …f6 against e5.
- Mind the light-squared bishop on c8, and don’t grab d4 too early: 9.Bb5+ is waiting.