C15 French Defense: Winawer Variation
C15 holds 14 named lines, all under the name French Defense. It leaves C10 (French Defense: Paulsen Variation) with 3...Bb4. Material is no longer level at the end of five of its lines; the widest gap, four pawns in Black’s favour, comes in French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted. Lines of four other codes continue from its position, the fourth-widest spread of the 19 French Defense codes.
| # | White | Black |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | e4 | e6 |
| 2 | d4 | d5 |
| 3 | Nc3 | Bb4 |
The move that completes C15
The reference line of C16 plays all of these moves and continues beyond them; C15 is the position reached at 3...Bb4.
- 3...Bb4 The bishop leaves f8 for b4, attacking the knight on c3, pinning the knight on c3 to its king.
Lines filed under C15
All 14 share their first six plies, the whole reference line and then split five ways at White’s move 4.
| Name | After the shared start | Plies | At the end |
|---|---|---|---|
| French Defense: Winawer Variation | (the shared start itself) | 6 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine-Maróczy Gambit | 4.Ne2 | 7 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation | 4.exd5 | 7 | White +1 |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation | 4.Bd2 | 7 | |
| French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Wolf Gambit | 4.Ne2 Nf6 5.Bg5 | 9 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation, Schwarz’s Line | 4.Bd2 Ne7 5.Nb1 | 9 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted | 4.Ne2 dxe4 5.a3 Bxc3+ | 10 | Black +4, check |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation, Kunin Double Gambit | 4.Bd2 dxe4 5.Qg4 Qxd4 | 10 | Black +2 |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Exchange Variation, Canal Attack | 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.Qh5 | 11 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Kondratiyev Variation | 4.Bd3 c5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Bd2 | 11 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Winckelmann-Reimer Gambit | 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 | 11 | Black +1 |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit, Kan Variation | 4.Ne2 dxe4 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Nxc3 Nc6 | 12 | Black +1 |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation, Main Line | 4.Bd2 dxe4 5.Qg4 Nf6 6.Qxg7 Rg8 7.Qh6 | 13 | |
| French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit, Alatortsev Variation | 4.Ne2 dxe4 5.a3 Be7 6.Nxe4 Nf6 7.N2g3 O-O 8.Be2 Nc6 | 16 | Black castled |
The road to C15
- 1.e4 … 2.d4three earlier stops: B00, C00
- 2...d5C00 French Defense
- 3.Nc3C10 Paulsen Variation
- 3...Bb4C15
The position after 3...Bb4
White has brought out the knight on c3; Black the bishop on b4. White could capture with exd5. White is to move and has 33 legal moves.
Codes that branch off from C15
The reference lines of one other code leave C15 from the position after 3...Bb4, each with its own moves.
| Code | Moves | Reference line |
|---|---|---|
| C16 | 4.e5 | French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation |
Closest boards in other codes
| Code | Line | Differs on |
|---|---|---|
| C03 | French Defense: Tarrasch Variation | four squares: d2, c3, b4, f8 |
| C11 | French Defense: Classical Variation | four squares: b4, f6, f8, g8 |
| C17 | French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation | four squares: e4, c5, e5, c7 |
| B15 | Caro-Kann Defense | six squares: b4, c6, e6, c7, e7, f8 |
| C01 | French Defense: Exchange Variation | six squares: b1, c3, b4, e4, d5, f8 |
| C02 | French Defense: Advance Variation | six squares: b1, c3, b4, e4, e5, f8 |
| C05 | French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation | six squares: d2, c3, b4, f6, f8, g8 |