ecocodes
a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8
After 1...e6 · White to move

French Defense

The list files 211 lines under the name French Defense, spread over 20 codes (C00–C19). Only three openings in the list have more named lines. C00 alone holds 42 of them. From the starting position of French Defense, the most-travelled continuation is 2.d4, with 188 lines. The deepest, French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line, runs to 10...a6. At the end of 35 lines one side is ahead on material; 39 names contain the word Gambit.

Score sheet
#WhiteBlack
1e4e6

Where the lines split

Two hundred and ten of the 211 lines continue from 1...e6; the bars show how many take each next move, and the indented rows the most common reply.

  1. 2.d4188
    1. 2...d5177
    2. 2...a65
    3. 2...f52
    4. 2...b51
  2. 2.Nf34
    1. 2...d52
    2. 2...f51
  3. 2.Nc33
    1. 2...d52
  4. 2.d33
    1. 2...f51
    2. 2...d51
  5. 2.b32
    1. 2...d51
  6. 2.b42
    1. 2...Bxb41
  7. 2.c42
    1. 2...d51
  8. 2.f42
    1. 2...d51
  9. 2.Bb51
  10. 2.Qe21

Codes holding French Defense lines

Volume C

  1. 00
  2. 01
  3. 02
  4. 03
  5. 04
  6. 05
  7. 06
  8. 07
  9. 08
  10. 09
  11. 10
  12. 11
  13. 12
  14. 13
  15. 14
  16. 15
  17. 16
  18. 17
  19. 18
  20. 19
  21. 20
  22. 21
  23. 22
  24. 23
  25. 24
  26. 25
  27. 26
  28. 27
  29. 28
  30. 29
  31. 30
  32. 31
  33. 32
  34. 33
  35. 34
  36. 35
  37. 36
  38. 37
  39. 38
  40. 39
  41. 40
  42. 41
  43. 42
  44. 43
  45. 44
  46. 45
  47. 46
  48. 47
  49. 48
  50. 49
  51. 50
  52. 51
  53. 52
  54. 53
  55. 54
  56. 55
  57. 56
  58. 57
  59. 58
  60. 59
  61. 60
  62. 61
  63. 62
  64. 63
  65. 64
  66. 65
  67. 66
  68. 67
  69. 68
  70. 69
  71. 70
  72. 71
  73. 72
  74. 73
  75. 74
  76. 75
  77. 76
  78. 77
  79. 78
  80. 79
  81. 80
  82. 81
  83. 82
  84. 83
  85. 84
  86. 85
  87. 86
  88. 87
  89. 88
  90. 89
  91. 90
  92. 91
  93. 92
  94. 93
  95. 94
  96. 95
  97. 96
  98. 97
  99. 98
  100. 99
CodeReference lineLinesLongest line (plies)
C00French Defense42French Defense: St. George Defense, Traditional Line (12)
C01French Defense: Exchange Variation6French Defense: Exchange Variation, Bogoljubow Variation (10)
C02French Defense: Advance Variation22French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Sørensen Variation (17)
C03French Defense: Tarrasch Variation6French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny Variation (10)
C04French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Main Line1French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Main Line (8)
C05French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation4French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Botvinnik Variation (12)
C06French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line2French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Leningrad Variation (16)
C07French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System7French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line (20)
C08French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System2French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Advance Line (10)
C09French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Main Line2French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Main Line (17)
C10French Defense: Paulsen Variation10French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Capablanca Line (13)
C11French Defense: Classical Variation15French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Brodsky-Jones Variation (18)
C12French Defense, Classical, 4. Bg513French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Duras Variation (17)
C13French Defense: Classical Variation, Burn Variation16French Defense: Alekhine-Chatard Attack, Albin-Chatard Gambit (14)
C14French Defense: Classical Variation8French Defense: Classical Variation, Stahlberg Variation (20)
C15French Defense: Winawer Variation14French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit, Alatortsev Variation (16)
C16French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation2French Defense: Winawer Variation, Petrosian Variation (8)
C17French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation9French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation (13)
C18French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation16French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation, Main Line (19)
C19French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation14French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation (18)

Longest French Defense lines

  1. French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line 20
  2. French Defense: Classical Variation, Stahlberg Variation 20
  3. French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation, Main Line 19
  4. French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation, Paoli Variation 19
  5. French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Brodsky-Jones Variation 18
  6. French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation 18
  7. French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation 18
  8. French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation 18