Chess openings / French Defense
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation
French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation (C19) starts 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.a4. In 244 games between strong players, White wins 53%, 11% are drawn and Black wins 36%; the most played move is 7…Qa5 (42%).
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.a4
- ECO
- C19
- Games between strong players
- 244
- To move
- Black
White wins, draws and Black wins, from this position.
What strong players play next
The moves played most from this position in over-the-board broadcasts and the Lichess Elite Database, how often, and how the games ended.
| Move | Played | Results | Leads to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7…Qa5 | 42% (102) | – | |
| 7…b6 | 18% (44) | – | |
| 7…Nbc6 | 17% (42) | – | |
| 7…Qc7 | 15% (36) | – | |
| 7…O-O | 4% (10) | – | |
| 7…h6 | 1% (3) | – |
Where it comes from and where it goes
Branches from French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5
More French Defense lines
- French Defense 99,820 games
- French Defense: Normal Variation 83,531 games
- French Defense: Paulsen Variation 37,893 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation 20,772 games
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation 17,534 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation 16,826 games
- French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation 12,957 games
- French Defense: Advance Variation, Paulsen Attack 12,083 games
- French Defense: Winawer Variation 11,959 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation 10,175 games
- French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Boleslavsky Variation 8,299 games
- French Defense: Exchange Variation 7,826 games
Played the French Defense lately?
Enter your Chess.com or Lichess username: every move of your game labelled from Brilliant to Blunder, and where you left theory. Free, no account.