B40 Sicilian Defense: French Variation
B40 holds 18 named lines, all under the name Sicilian Defense. It leaves B27 (Sicilian Defense) with 2...e6. With 18 named lines it is the fifth-largest code of the 80 Sicilian Defense codes. Material is no longer level at the end of two of its lines; the widest gap, one pawn in Black’s favour, comes in Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open. Lines filed under B43 reach one of its named positions by a different move order.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | c5 |
| 2 | Nf3 | e6 |
The move that completes B40
The reference line of B41 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; B40 is the position reached at 2...e6.
- 2...e6 The e-pawn advances to e6, covering d5 and f5, opening a line for the queen on d8 and the bishop on f8.
Lines filed under B40
All 18 share their first four plies, the whole reference line and then split six ways at White’s move 3.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sicilian Defense: French Variation | (the shared start itself) | 4 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Delayed Alapin Variation, with e6 | 3.c3 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Westerinen Attack | 3.b3 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Kramnik Variation | 3.c4 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Wing Gambit Deferred | 3.b4 | 5 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Drazic Variation | 3.d4 a6 | 6 | |
| Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Open | 3.d4 cxd4 | 6 | Black +1 |
| Sicilian Defense: Marshall Counterattack | 3.d4 d5 | 6 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Smith-Morra Gambit Deferred | 3.d4 cxd4 4.c3 | 7 | Black +1 |
| Sicilian Defense: French Variation, Normal | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 | 8 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Kveinis Variation | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Qb6 | 8 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Paulsen-Basman Defense | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Bc5 | 8 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Alapin Variation, Sherzer Variation | 3.c3 Nf6 4.e5 Nd5 5.d4 Nc6 | 10 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Gaw-Paw Variation | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Qb6 | 10 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 | 10 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Wing Attack, Fianchetto Variation | 3.Nc3 a6 4.g3 b5 5.d4 cxd4 6.Nxd4 | 11 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Koch Variation | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.e5 | 11 | |
| Sicilian Defense: Pin Variation, Jaffe Variation | 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nf6 5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Bd3 e5 | 12 |
The road to B40
- 1.e4one earlier stop: B00
- 1...c5B20 Sicilian Defense
- 2.Nf3B27 Sicilian Defense
- 2...e6B40
The position after 2...e6
White has brought out the knight on f3; Black has not yet moved a knight or bishop. White is to move and has 28 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from B40
The reference lines of three other codes leave B40 from two of its named positions; “From” gives the last part of that position’s name.
| Code | From | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|---|
| B41 | Open | 4.Nxd4 a6 | Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation |
| B44 | Open | 4.Nxd4 Nc6 | Sicilian Defense: Taimanov Variation |
| B80 | Normal | 5.Nc3 d6 | Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| B20 | Sicilian Defense | four squares: g1, f3, e6, e7 |
| B28 | Sicilian Defense: O’Kelly Variation | four squares: a6, e6, a7, e7 |
| B29 | Sicilian Defense: Nimzowitsch Variation | four squares: e6, f6, e7, g8 |
| B30 | Sicilian Defense: Old Sicilian | four squares: c6, e6, e7, b8 |
| B50 | Sicilian Defense: Modern Variations | four squares: d6, e6, d7, e7 |
| C00 | French Defense | four squares: g1, f3, c5, c7 |
| C40 | King’s Knight Opening | four squares: c5, e5, e6, c7 |
Where lines continue from here
Forty-five named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 2...e6. Besides the codes above, they belong to B22, B42, B43, B45, B46, B47, B48, B49, B81, B82, B83, B85, B86.
Other move orders
- Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Wing Attack, Fianchetto Variation is also reached inside B43 Sicilian Defense: Kan Variation, Knight Variation, whose order is 1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 e6 3.d4 cxd4 4.Nxd4 a6 5.Nc3 b5 6.g3.