French Defence
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| Moves | 1.e4 e6 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 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:
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. 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, known by many players as the French bishop.