Chess · French Defense | Compare
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Using this reference
For French Defense, start at the first position and step through the moves rather than memorizing the final board. After each move, look for the piece that moved and the squares it now influences. The same opening name can cover several branches, so use the selected line’s move order as your reference.
The final position in the viewer is where this recorded line ends, not a verdict on the position. Choose another listed branch to see where the paths separate. The viewer displays legal source moves; it does not provide an engine evaluation or establish a forced continuation.
Opening lines
An ECO code groups opening lines, not one forced position. Step through legal notation from the CC0 Lichess dataset. This is a study viewer, without engine evaluation or a claim that a line is best.
The board shows one representative line for each ECO code. All collected branches and their PGN moves remain listed below.
1. e4 e6
FEN: rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/4p3/8/4P3/8/PPPP1PPP/RNBQKBNR w KQkq - 0 2
C00 · French Defense
43 PGN · 43 FEN
- French Defense:
1. e4 e6 - French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit:
1. e4 e6 2. b4 - French Defense: Bird Invitation:
1. e4 e6 2. Bb5 - French Defense: Chigorin Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. Qe2 - French Defense: Horwitz Attack:
1. e4 e6 2. b3 - French Defense: King's Indian Attack:
1. e4 e6 2. d3 - French Defense: Knight Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. Nf3 - French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. f4 - French Defense: Normal Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 - French Defense: Queen's Knight:
1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 - French Defense: Réti-Spielmann Attack:
1. e4 e6 2. g3 - French Defense: Steiner Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. c4
C01 · French Defense
6 PGN · 6 FEN
- French Defense: Exchange Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 - French Defense: Exchange Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nf3 - French Defense: Exchange Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nc3 - French Defense: Exchange Variation, Monte Carlo Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. c4 - French Defense: Exchange Variation, Svenonius Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bg5 - French Defense: Exchange Variation, Bogoljubow Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5 4. Nc3 Nf6 5. Bg5 Nc6
C03 · French Defense
6 PGN · 6 FEN
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Haberditz Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 f5 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Modern System:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 a6 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Morozevich Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Be7 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Thunderbunny Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. c3 dxe4 5. Nxe4 e5
C04 · French Defense
1 PGN · 1 FEN
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Guimard Defense, Main Line:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nc6 4. Ngf3 Nf6
C06 · French Defense
2 PGN · 2 FEN
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Closed Variation, Main Line:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Leningrad Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 6. c3 Nc6 7. Ne2 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nb6
C07 · French Defense
7 PGN · 7 FEN
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Euwe-Keres Line:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. Ngf3 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Süchting Line:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. c3 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Shaposhnikov Gambit:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Nf6 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Eliskases Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd8 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Chistyakov Defense, Modern Line:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 Qxd5 5. Ngf3 cxd4 6. Bc4 Qd6 7. O-O Nf6 8. Nb3 Nc6 9. Nbxd4 Nxd4 10. Nxd4 a6
C08 · French Defense
2 PGN · 2 FEN
- French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 - French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Advance Line:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Ngf3 c4
C10 · French Defense
10 PGN · 10 FEN
- French Defense: Paulsen Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 - French Defense: Hecht-Reefschläger Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nc6 - French Defense: Marshall Gambit:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 c5 - French Defense: Rubinstein Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 - French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Blackburne Defense:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 - French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Ellis Gambit:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 e5 - French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Maric Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Qd5 - French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Fort Knox Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Bd7 5. Nf3 Bc6 - French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Capablanca Line:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Nxf6+ Nxf6 7. Ne5 - French Defense: Rubinstein Variation, Kasparov Attack:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 dxe4 4. Nxe4 Nd7 5. Nf3 Ngf6 6. Nxf6+ Nxf6 7. c3
C11 · French Defense
15 PGN · 15 FEN
- French Defense: Classical Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. exd5 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Swiss Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bd3 - French Defense: Henneberger Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Be3 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Shirov-Anand Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Nce2 - French Defense: Steinitz Variation, Gledhill Attack:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Qg4 - French Defense: Steinitz Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 a6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 - French Defense: Steinitz Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 a6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. a3 - French Defense: Steinitz Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 a6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Ne2 - French Defense: Steinitz Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. Nf3 - French Defense: Steinitz Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. f4 c5 6. dxc5 Nc6
C12 · French Defense
14 PGN · 14 FEN
- French Defense: McCutcheon Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Advance Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Exchange Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. exd5 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Bernstein Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bh4 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Chigorin Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. exf6 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Dr. Olland Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bc1 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Janowski Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Be3 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Tartakower Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Nfd7 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Bogoljubow Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bxf6 gxf6 7. Qd2 Qa5 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Lasker Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qg4 g6 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Duras Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. Nc3 d5 3. d4 Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 5. e5 h6 6. Bd2 Bxc3 7. bxc3 Ne4 8. Qg4 Kf8 9. Bc1
C14 · French Defense
8 PGN · 8 FEN
- French Defense: Classical Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 a6 4. Nf3 Nf6 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bg5 - French Defense: Classical Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Alapin Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Nb5 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Pollock Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Qg4 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Rubinstein Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Qd2 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Tarrasch Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. Bd3 - French Defense: Classical Variation, Stahlberg Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. Bxe7 Qxe7 7. f4 O-O 8. Nf3 c5 9. Qd2 Nc6 10. O-O-O c4
C15 · French Defense
14 PGN · 14 FEN
- French Defense: Winawer Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine-Maróczy Gambit:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Ne2 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Delayed Exchange Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd2 - French Defense: McCutcheon Variation, Wolf Gambit:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Ne2 Nf6 5. Bg5 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation, Schwarz's Line:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd2 Ne7 5. Nb1 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit Accepted:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Ne2 dxe4 5. a3 Bxc3+ - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Fingerslip Variation, Kunin Double Gambit:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd2 dxe4 5. Qg4 Qxd4 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Exchange Variation, Canal Attack:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. exd5 exd5 5. Bd3 Ne7 6. Qh5 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Kondratiyev Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Bd3 c5 5. exd5 Qxd5 6. Bd2 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Winckelmann-Reimer Gambit:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. a3 Bxc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. f3 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Alekhine Gambit, Kan Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. Ne2 dxe4 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. Nxc3 Nc6
C16 · French Defense
2 PGN · 2 FEN
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Petrosian Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Qd7
C18 · French Defense
16 PGN · 16 FEN
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Classical Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qc7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Portisch-Hook Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Qa5 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, with Bd3:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Bd3 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, with h4:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. h4 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, with Bd3:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Bd3 Qc7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, with h4:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. h4 Qc7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Eingorn Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 Kf8 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 Qc7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Warsaw Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 O-O - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Poisoned Pawn Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 cxd4 8. Qxg7
C19 · French Defense
14 PGN · 14 FEN
- French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. a4 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. a4 Qc7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. Nf3 Nge7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3 Qc7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. a4 Nbc6 8. Nf3 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3 Qc7 8. h4 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Bd3 Nbc6 8. Nf3 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Nc6 7. Nf3 Qa5 8. Bd2 Nge7 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. a4 Nbc6 8. Nf3 Qa5 9. Qd2 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. a4 Nbc6 8. Nf3 Qa5 9. Bd2 - French Defense: Winawer Variation, Positional Variation:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. a4 Nbc6 8. Nf3 Qa5 9. Qd2 Bd7
Game and item names below retain the source’s English identifiers so you can find them in the linked documentation.