French Defence

1.e4 e6

A pawn chain, not a pawn race: ...e6 and ...d5 build a wall, then you hit the base of White's chain with ...c5 while their attack is still forming. It teaches the single most useful middlegame skill there is — where to strike a pawn chain — and it is rock solid against every kind of aggression.

Spar this opening

Your setup

Knightc6 / d7
Knighte7 / f6 / h6
Bishope7 / b4 / d6 / c5
Queenb6 / c7 / d8
Pawnse6 d5 c5
CastleO-O

c5 before cxd4. Keep the tension: ...c5 presses d4 for many moves. Only take when it wins something.

Ideas

Hit the base of the chain: ...c5

White's chain is d4–e5. Attack d4 with ...c5, ...Nc6 and ...Qb6, and don't release the tension.

A pawn chain is only as strong as its base. d4 holds e5 up; pile onto d4 and White has to defend passively. ...cxd4 early just solidifies their centre — keep pressing.

Never ...Nf6 while a pawn sits on e5

e5 covers f6. The knight goes to e7 (or h6), not f6.

In the Advance, ...Nf6?? simply hangs the knight to exf6. Route it ...Nge7–f5 (hitting d4) or ...Nh6–f5. In lines without e5, ...Nf6 is fine.

The French bishop problem — and its fixes

Your c8-bishop is behind ...e6. Trade it with ...b6 and ...Ba6, or activate it via ...Bd7–b5.

That bishop is the one price you pay for the wall. Don't ignore it: once the queenside is stable, ...b6 and ...Ba6 offers a trade of your worst piece for their best.

Against Nc3: pin with ...Bb4

3.Nc3 Bb4 — the knight that defends e4 is pinned. After e5 c5 a3, take on c3 and put the knight on e7.

The Winawer. Bxc3+ bxc3 gives White doubled pawns and a weakened queenside; your play against c3 and d4 is easy to understand. Never ...Ba5 after a3 — b4 hunts the bishop.

Against exd5: mirror and castle

...exd5, ...Nf6, ...Bd6, ...O-O. Your bishop is free and the position is equal.

The Exchange solves your bishop problem for you. Develop naturally, castle, and use the open e-file. Avoid early queen checks — they just help you develop.

Against Nd2: ...c5 at once

3.Nd2 avoids the pin, but it blocks the bishop. Hit d4 immediately with ...c5.

The Tarrasch. With the knight on d2, White can't pressure d5 quickly; ...c5 strikes while their pieces are tangled. After exd5 exd5 you get open lines for the bishop.

When the book runs out

Your play is on the queenside and against d4; White's is on the kingside. Push your break first.

Every French middlegame is a race: ...c5, ...Qb6, ...Nc6 and sometimes ...f6 against the chain, versus White's kingside attack. Don't defend passively — keep hitting d4.

The structure

The Advance French: ...c5, ...Nc6 and ...Qb6 all point at d4, the base of White's chain.

Traps

Bd3?? hangs d4

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Bd3 cxd4 cxd4 Nxd4 Nf3 Nxf3+ Qxf3

The tell: White develops the bishop to d3 while d4 is only defended by the queen.

Bd3 blocks the queen's guard of d4. ...cxd4 cxd4 Nxd4 wins the pawn cleanly; after Nf3 Nxf3+ Qxf3 you're a pawn up with a healthy position.

...Nf6 into exf6 (don't do this)

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 Nf6 exf6

The tell: White's pawn is on e5 and you want to 'develop' the knight.

e5 covers f6: the knight is simply captured. In the Advance the knight develops via e7 (or h6), aiming for f5.

Model games

Advance Variation

e4 e6 d4 d5 e5 c5 c3 Nc6 Nf3 Qb6

Hit the base of the chain: ...c5, ...Nc6, ...Qb6 pile onto d4 while White's attack is still a plan.

Winawer Variation

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nc3 Bb4 e5 c5 a3 Bxc3+ bxc3 Ne7

Pin the knight, take on c3 when asked, and route your knight to e7 — never f6 while e5 stands.

Exchange Variation

e4 e6 d4 d5 exd5 exd5 Nf3 Nf6 Bd3 Bd6 O-O O-O

Symmetrical and equal: develop, castle, use the e-file.

Tarrasch Variation (3.Nd2)

e4 e6 d4 d5 Nd2 c5 exd5 exd5 Ngf3 Nc6 Bb5 Bd6

Against Nd2, ...c5 at once; after exd5 exd5 your bishop is free and your pieces develop actively.

How the coach grades a move

Every move you play gets one of six grades, from the engine’s view of the position, with the book’s verdict taking over when it is harsher. The sentence beside it is always the reason. Tap it for what the move did, why this opening wants it, and whether anything was better.

Best: Nothing better was available.
Good: Within a few percent of best. Noise at this depth.
Playable: A small real gap. The better move is named, play goes on.
Inaccuracy: Seven to twelve points of winning chances. The game stops to show you.
Mistake: Twelve or more, or a move the book warns against, or a broken order rule.
Blunder: Twenty-five or more. Usually material.

Catalogued as C00–C19 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings, the reference index most databases sort by.