French Defence

French Defence
7	7
6	6
5	5
4	4
3	3
2	2
1	1
Moves	1.e4 e6
ECO	C00–C19
Named after	London vs. Paris correspondence match (1834–1836)
Parent	King's Pawn Game

The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves:

1. e4 e6

This is most commonly followed by 2.d4 d5. Black usually plays ...c5 soon after, attacking White's pawn centre and gaining space on the queenside.^[2] The French has a reputation for solidity and resilience, although some lines such as the Winawer Variation can lead to sharp complications. Black's position is often somewhat cramped in the early game; in particular, the pawn on e6 can impede the development of the bishop on c8.^[3]

This article uses algebraic notation to describe chess moves.

^ Cite error: The named reference London–Paris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Petrov, Marian. "French Defense - A Complete Guide for Beginners". chessklub.com.
^ Vitiugov, Nikita (2010). The French Defence: A Complete Black Repertoire. Chess Stars. p. 7.

[London–Paris-1] Cite error: The named reference London–Paris was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[2] Petrov, Marian. "French Defense - A Complete Guide for Beginners". chessklub.com.

[3] Vitiugov, Nikita (2010). The French Defence: A Complete Black Repertoire. Chess Stars. p. 7.

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