Opening · played as White

French Defense: White's Side

How to meet 1...e6 as White: 3.Nc3 and the Steinitz, plus the Winawer, the Rubinstein and the exchange lines. This is the White side, for playing the French as Black, see the French Defense course.

A position this opening is aiming for.

You play
White
Variations covered
50

The main line

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 6.Bxf6 gxf6 7.Nf3 f5 8.Nc3 Nd7

Some of the variations

…and 44 more in the trainer.

Train it

ChessReflex drills the branch points where a line splits rather than making you replay it move by move, so a repertoire this size is a handful of decisions instead of hundreds of moves. Free, and no account needed to start.

Open French Defense: White's Side