How to Beat the French Defense

What you're facing: Black builds a granite pawn chain and strikes back at the center with …d5 — solid, strategic, and famously stubborn.

The moves you'll see

Your counter-plans

• The Advance (3. e5) grabs space — defend d4 with c3 and Nf3 and attack on the kingside where you own more room.
• The classical 3. Nc3 keeps maximum tension; meet …Bb4 (Winawer) with a3 and recapture toward the center.
• Target e6 and the buried c8-bishop: trade dark-squared bishops and Black's position gets grim.

What your opponent is trying to do

• After 1…e6 2. d4 d5, your entire game revolves around attacking White's pawn chain base with …c5 and its head with …f6.
• Your 'bad' light-squared bishop is the French's only weakness — trade it via …b6 and …Ba6 when you can.
• Queenside play is yours: …Qb6, …c4 clamps, and minority attacks win French endgames.

Rehearse your defense against the computer until the counter-plans are muscle memory — free, in your browser.