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This is the main page to learn the French Defense on this website, and this lesson is designed for chess beginners. Here you can find official data, explanations, general description of the French Defense chess opening in Part I (below) and see the "French Defense General Information" video in Part II (at the middle).
Here you can also find more links to this chess opening in Part III (at the bottom of this page) to understand how to play its main variations: Exchange Variation, Advance Variation, Main Line 3.Nc3 or Paulsen Variation, and Tarrasch Variation 3.Nd2. French Defense is an Semi-Open Game opening -- it begins with 1.e4 other than e5.
I. French Defense: Data and Description
Chess Opening: French Defense (1.e4 e6)
Type: Semi-Open Game (1.e4 other than e5)
Moves: 1.e4 e6
ECO Codes: C00-C19
After the Sicilian Defense, the French Defense is the 2nd most popular semi-open game chess opening. It was named after an 1834 correspondence match between London and Paris. During it, a French chess player insisted to try 1... e6. White usually presses on kingside and Black on queenside.
The next is the answering statistics to the French Defense:
• 2.d4 ~ 80%. • 2.d3 ~ 10%.
• other moves ~ 10% (2.Nf3, 2.Nc3, 2.Qe2, 2.b3, 2.c4, ..).
The following is 5 main (most common) variations of the French Defense:
• French Defense, Exchange variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 - C01.
• French Defense, Advance variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 - C02.
• French Defense, Tarrasch variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nd2 - C03.
• French Defense, Paulsen variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 - C10.
• French Defense, Winawer (Nimzovich) variation: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 - C15.
To see the French Defense in a visible way, please find the video below.
II. French Defense: Video General Information
The video will show the designated moves of the French Defense, ECO codes, general description, answering statistics, 5 most common variations, and the most common line. The video consists of 4 parts and runs 3 minutes 16 seconds. To see the video on French Defense General Information, click the Play button below:
• If the opening video hasn't shown up, please wait a little.
• If the video stops, drag a little right the player's handle.
• If the video displays an error, try to start and play it later.
III. French Defense: Find More Links
More links on this chess opening will follow on. And they will show how to correctly play the main variations of the French Defense... Thank you!
• French Defense, Exchange Variation [text, video]
• French Defense, Advance Variation [text, video]
• French Defense, Main Line 3.Nc3 or Paulsen Variation [text, video]
• French Defense, Tarrasch Variation 3.Nd2 [text, video]
See all opening lessons on this website:
• Links to All Chess Opening Lessons
Here, on chess-openings-for-beginners.blogspot.com you have studied the French Defense chess opening... This is the Main page on this chess opening website and Lesson 41 for beginners and intermediate players for the French Defense. The French Defense is a popular semi-open game, starts with 1.e4 e6, and occupies ECO Codes C00-C19 in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings. Thank you!
