French Defense
Move Sequence
e4— White opens with the classical king's pawn.e6— The French: prepares ...d5 and builds a solid pawn foundation.d4— White occupies the center fully.d5— The French counter-blow: attacks e4 head-on.
The French Defence begins with 1.e4 e6 and is one of the most solid black responses to the king's pawn. The name originated from a telegraph match between London and Paris in 1834, in which the Parisian team employed this defence. World-class players such as Mikhail Botvinnik, Tigran Petrosian and Viktor Korchnoi made it their favourite opening.
After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 the main variations arise: Classical (3.♞c3), Advance (3.e5), Tarrasch (3.♞d2) and Winawer (3.♞c3 ♝b4).
Strategy
Black builds a solid pawn chain and attacks White's centre with c7-c5. The classic theme of the French is the pawn chain d4-e5 versus c5-d6 — Black tries to undermine the base of White's chain (d4), while White attacks on the kingside. Black's light-squared bishop on c8 is considered a weakness because it is locked in by its own pawn chain. In return, the black position is extremely robust.
Typical Continuation
In the Classical Variation (3.♞c3 ♞f6 4.♝g5) White puts pressure on f6. After 4...♝e7 5.e5 ♞fd7 6.♝xe7 ♛xe7 the typical structure arises. In the Advance Variation (3.e5 c5 4.c3 ♞c6 5.♞f3 ♛b6) White builds a strong central fortress that Black immediately attacks with c5. For beginners the Tarrasch Variation (3.♞d2) is recommended because it leads to clear positions without excessive complications.
Suitable for: Strategic / counter-attacking — for players who prefer a robust defence with their own counterattack.