The knight comes to f6 and attacks the e4 pawn...Nf6
The knight comes out and hits the pawn White has just defended. White has to deal with it now, which is the point: you are not developing quietly, you are asking a question.
French Defense:Classical Variation
After 3.Nc3 Black replies 3...Nf6: the knight comes out and attacks the e4 pawn. White pushes the pawn to e5 and takes space, and Black prepares ...c5 — a hit on the d4 pawn that holds the centre up.
- Play as Black
- 1200–1600 Elo
- Difficulty: Beginner
Your Progress0%
The arrow is the move the whole variation is built around: the c-pawn goes to c5 and attacks the d4 pawn — the one defending e5.
On this page
Quick answer
- Moves
- 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6
- Your choice
- The knight goes to f6 (3...Nf6), attacking the e4 pawn and making White decide at once
- The plan
- Push the c-pawn to c5, then add the knight on c6 and the queen on b6 against the d4 pawn
- Suits you if
- You are happy with a closed centre and a slower game with a clear target
What White wants
White gets the space, and pays for it by having to hold e5.
- White pushes the pawn to e5 at once: it takes space and drives the knight off f6.
- The f-pawn follows to f4, so a second pawn holds e5 and White gains more room on the kingside.
- White ends up with pawns on d4 and e5 against yours on e6 and d5. Nothing gets traded in the middle, so the game is decided on the wings and at the two squares a pawn can still attack.
That is why d4 matters. It is the pawn holding e5 up — and unlike e5, you can attack it with pawns and pieces at once.
The position to recognize
This is where the variation actually begins. Your pawn on c5 attacks d4; White has just defended it with the knight on f3. Everything you play from here adds another attacker or removes a defender — the arrow is the next one, ...Nc6. If you know only one position from this page, know this one: it is the one you will reach in almost every game.
Three ideas for Black
Three moves make up Black's plan: ...c5, ...Nc6 and ...Qb6.
Attack the d4 pawn...c5
The c5-pawn attacks White's d4-pawn, the base of the centre. White now has to deal with pressure on d4 instead of developing freely.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 Add a second attacker...Nc6
The knight on c6 also attacks White's d4-pawn. The c5-pawn and the knight now pressure the same target, forcing White to defend it.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Create a second target...Qb6
The queen moves to b6 and immediately eyes the b2-pawn. While Black's pawn remains on c5, the queen does not attack d4 directly. After the exchange on d4, the b6–d4 diagonal can open and add pressure to the centre.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3
The knight that goes back
The move that looks wrong and is not — worth two boards, because this is where most players at 1200 go astray.
The e5 pawn chases the knight — and it goes to d7, not to e4 or back to g8...Nfd7
The pawn on e5 attacks the knight, so it has to move again. d7 is the square: from there it supports the ...c5 break you are about to play, and it does not block the bishop or sit on the edge. Moving the same piece twice in the opening is usually a mistake — here it is the plan, and it takes one tempo you get back the moment ...c5 lands.
The line, move by move
One line, all the way to where the theory stops. Step through it — the notes are on the moves where you have a decision.
Start position
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Before the first move. You are Black. The board is set from your side, and the notes explain your moves and what White is trying to do about them.
Understand the idea behind every move
Train it in the trainer so you can find the right decisions in your own games.
How to train this variation
Don't try to memorise the whole line at once. Take the 9 key positions in pieces: the basic set-up first, then the ...Nfd7–...c5 idea, and after that the pieces joining the pressure on the centre.
Start with the basic set-up
...e6 → ...d5 → ...Nf6
Get ...e6, ...d5 and ...Nf6 solid. The knight comes to f6 and attacks the e4 pawn, which makes White decide how to hold the centre.
Tie the knight retreat to the ...c5 break
...Nfd7 → ...c5
When the pawn goes to e5 and chases the knight off f6, take it back to d7. Then play ...c5 and attack the d4 pawn, the base of White's centre.
Bring the pieces into the pressure
...Nc6 → ...Qb6
The knight on c6 adds a second attack on the d4 pawn. The queen on b6 creates a second target on b2, and after the exchange on d4 she can join the pressure on the centre.
Understand the opening, remember the moves
Learn why each move is played, what the position is asking for, and what your opponent is trying to achieve. Then train the key positions until the right decisions come naturally in your games.
Questions
Why 3...Nf6 rather than 3...Bb4 (the Winawer)?
Both are good. With 3...Nf6 you keep the pieces on and play against the d4 pawn with a pawn and two knights; with 3...Bb4 you trade the bishop for the knight on c3 and play against the doubled pawns that leaves. If you prefer a slow game with one clear target, this is the one.
Why not 3...dxe4 (the Rubinstein)?
Taking on e4 releases the tension immediately and gives White a free hand in the centre. It is solid and much less demanding to learn, but you also give up the ...c5 plan this page is about.
Is moving the knight twice really fine?
Yes, here. The pawn on e5 attacks the knight, so the second move is forced rather than chosen — and d7 is where it wants to be anyway, supporting the ...c5 break. You spend one tempo and get a knight with a job.
What if White does not play 4.e5?
Then you are in a different position. Most often White develops the bishop to g5 instead, pinning the knight — its own line, with its own plans.
Is this good at 1200–1600?
It suits that range well: the plan is the same in most games, the targets are fixed, and you rarely have to calculate long forcing lines to get a playable position.