C11 French Defense: Classical Variation
C11 holds 15 named lines, all under the name French Defense. It leaves C10 (French Defense: Paulsen Variation) with 3...Nf6. White, to move in that position, has 39 legal moves, the second-highest count of the 19 French Defense codes. With 15 named lines it is the fifth-largest code of the 19 French Defense codes. Material is no longer level at the end of two of its lines; the widest gap, one pawn in White’s favour, comes in French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e6 |
| 2 | d4 | d5 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Nf6 |
The move that completes C11
The reference line of C12 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; C11 is the position reached at 3...Nf6.
- 3...Nf6 The knight leaves g8 for f6, opening a line for the rook on h8.
Lines filed under C11
All 15 share the start 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 and then split two ways at Black’s move 3.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| French Defense: Classical Variation | 3...Nf6 | 6 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation | 3...Nf6 4.exd5 | 7 | White +1 |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation | 3...Nf6 4.e5 | 7 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation | 3...Nf6 4.Bd3 | 7 | |
| French Defense: Henneberger Variation | 3...Nf6 4.Be3 | 7 | |
| French Defense: Classical Variation, Shirov-Anand Variation | 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Nce2 | 9 | |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Gledhill Attack | 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Qg4 | 9 | |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation | 3...a6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nfd7 | 10 | |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation | 3...a6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nfd7 6.a3 | 11 | |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation | 3...a6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Ne2 | 11 | |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation | 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 | 11 | |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation | 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.dxc5 Nc6 | 12 | White +1 |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Boleslavsky Variation | 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 | 13 | |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Bradford Attack Variation | 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.Qg4 | 13 | |
| French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Brodsky-Jones Variation | 3...Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.dxc5 Nc6 7.a3 Bxc5 8.Qg4 O-O 9.Nf3 f6 | 18 | Black castled |
The road to C11
- 1.e4 … 2.d4three earlier stops: B00, C00
- 2...d5C00 French Defense
- 3.Nc3C10 Paulsen Variation
- 3...Nf6C11
The position after 3...Nf6
White has brought out the knight on c3; Black the knight on f6. White could capture with Nxd5, exd5.
Codes that branch off from C11
The reference lines of two other codes leave C11 from two of its named positions; “From” gives the last part of that position’s name.
| Code | From | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|---|
| C12 | Classical Variation | 4.Bg5 | French Defense, Classical, 4. Bg5 |
| C14 | Steinitz Variation | 6.Bg5 | French Defense: Classical Variation |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C05 | French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation | two squares: d2, c3 |
| B14 | Caro-Kann Defense: Panov Attack | four squares: c2, c4, e4, c7 |
| C03 | French Defense: Tarrasch Variation | four squares: d2, c3, f6, g8 |
| C13 | French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation | four squares: c1, e4, d5, g5 |
| C15 | French Defense: Winawer Variation | four squares: b4, f6, f8, g8 |
| D35 | Queen’s Gambit Declined: Normal Defense | four squares: c2, e2, c4, e4 |
| B80 | Sicilian Defense: Scheveningen Variation | five squares: g1, d4, d5, d6, c7 |
Where lines continue from here
Thirty-eight named lines filed under other codes pass through the position after 3...Nf6. Besides the codes above, they belong to C01, C13.
Other move orders
- French Defense: Classical Variation is also reached inside C12 French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Duras Variation, whose order is 1.e4 e6 2.Nc3 d5 3.d4 Nf6.