Learn › Lessons › Openings › Other answers to 1.e4

French Defence (Classical)

Black builds a strong wall with ...e6 and ...d5 and attacks White's centre later with ...c5 and ...f6. The light-squared bishop is the problem piece to solve.

Intermediate · Other answers to 1.e4 · 16 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

French Defence (Classical) (C14). You play Black. Black builds a strong wall with ...e6 and ...d5 and attacks White's centre later with ...c5 and ...f6. The light-squared bishop is the problem piece to solve.

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 13% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 231k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 202k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.Nc3

White plays knight to c3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 45% of 200k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...Nf6

Black plays knight to f6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4, d5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 40% of 89k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.Bg5

White plays bishop to g5. It develops the bishop into the game. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 49% of 37k games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Be7

Black plays bishop to e7. It develops the bishop into the game. Now castling is possible. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 31% of 19k games.

Step 10

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.e5

White plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It gains space. It attacks the knight on f6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 94% of 6196 games.

Step 11

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Nfd7

Black plays knight to d7. It controls the centre (e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 94% of 5368 games.

Step 12

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♝︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.Bxe7

White plays bishop takes e7. It captures the bishop on e7. It attacks the queen on d8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 58% of 5510 games.

Step 13

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♝︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♛︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...Qxe7

Black plays queen takes e7. It captures the bishop on e7. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 100% of 3020 games.

Step 14

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.f4

White plays pawn to f4. It controls the centre (e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 84% of 3202 games.

Step 15

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7...O-O

Black castles. Castling puts the king in safety and brings the rook toward the centre. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 2522 games.

Step 16

♜︎♞︎♝︎♚︎♛︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♚︎♜︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the French Defence (Classical). Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

Open the lesson on the board · free, no account needed to read it.

More lessons in Other answers to 1.e4

Next lesson: French Defence: Advance Variation