The bishop comes to b4 and pins the knight on c3...Bb4
The knight cannot move while it shields the king on e1, so it stops defending the pawn on e4. That is why White usually has to push the pawn to e5 rather than defend the centre quietly.
French Defense:Winawer Variation
Black pins the knight with ...Bb4, challenges White’s centre with ...c5, and is ready to trade on c3 to damage White’s pawn structure.
- Play as Black
- 1600–2000 Elo
- Difficulty: Advanced
Your Progress0%
The arrow is the counter-blow: the c-pawn goes to c5 and attacks the d4 pawn while White’s knight is still pinned.
On this page
Quick answer
- Moves
- 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4
- Your choice
- The bishop comes to b4 (3...Bb4) and pins the knight on c3 against the king
- The plan
- Hit the centre with ...c5, trade on c3 to leave White doubled pawns, then develop with ...Ne7
- Suits you if
- You accept a sharp game where you give up a bishop and often a pawn or two for long-term targets
What White wants
Space first, then a question, then an attack on the kingside.
- White pushes the pawn to e5, takes space and shuts the bishop on b4 out of the centre.
- Then a2–a3 asks the bishop directly: trade yourself for the knight on c3, or go back.
- After the trade the queen often goes to g4 and starts hunting on the kingside, where Black has not castled yet.
That is the deal this variation offers: White gets space, the two bishops and time; Black gets a permanent weakness to play against.
The position to recognize
White has just played a2–a3 and asked the bishop the question. This is the moment the variation is named for: the arrow is the trade, and taking on c3 is the move Black is playing for, not a concession. Recognise this position and you know what the next move is without calculating.
Three ideas for Black
Three moves make up Black’s plan: ...c5, ...Bxc3+ and ...Ne7.
Attack the base of the centre...c5
The pawn on c5 attacks the pawn on d4, the base of White’s centre. Instead of defending passively, Black starts taking White’s pawn chain apart straight away.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Damage the pawn structure...Bxc3+
The bishop on b4 takes the knight on c3. After the recapture bxc3 White has doubled pawns on c2 and c3 — a long-term target that will not go away.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bring the knight into the game...Ne7
The knight goes from g8 to e7. From there it can continue to f5 or g6, joining the play against the centre and the kingside.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3
The bishop that gives itself up
A bishop for a knight, and a pin that pays for it — the trade most players hesitate over the first time.
After a2–a3 the bishop takes on c3 instead of retreating...Bxc3+
Retreating hands White a free tempo and leaves the knight where it is. Taking gives up the bishop pair, and in return White has to recapture with a pawn: the c-pawns are doubled and stay that way.
A trap to avoid
The poisoned g7-pawn in the Winawer
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Move 13 of 13
After 7.Qg4 White hits g7. Castling here is asking for trouble, Black must choose between 7…Qc7 and 7…cxd4, and only castle once it is prepared.
The line, move by move
One line to where the theory stops. It ends with White two pawns up — that is not a mistake in the line, it is the bargain the Winawer makes.
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 with explanations so you don’t just remember the move — you understand why it works.
How to train this variation
Don’t try to memorise the whole line at once. Take the 9 key positions in pieces: the pin and the ...c5 break first, then the trade on c3, and after that the moves that keep your king safe while White grabs pawns.
First the pin and the break
...Bb4 → ...c5
The bishop pins the knight on c3, and the pawn hits d4 while that knight cannot help. Learn the two together — the break works because of the pin.
Then the trade you are playing for
...Bxc3+ → bxc3
When White asks with a2–a3, take. Get used to giving up the bishop: the doubled c-pawns are the payment, and they are permanent.
Finally the moves under fire
...Ne7 → ...Qc7
The queen comes to g4 and the pawns on g7 and h7 are loose. Train ...Ne7 and ...Qc7 until they are automatic — that is the part of the variation that decides games.
Understand the opening. Don’t just memorise moves.
Understand the idea behind each move, then train it until you can find the right decisions in your own games.
Questions
What is Black actually trying to do in the Winawer?
Pin the knight on c3 with the bishop from b4, then hit the centre at once with ...c5. If the bishop later trades itself for that knight, White usually ends up with pawns on c2 and c3. The idea is not to hold the centre and wait — it is to create targets and play against them.
Why give up the bishop for a knight on c3?
After ...Bxc3+ White nearly always recaptures with the b-pawn and is left with pawns on c2 and c3. You have given up a bishop and bought a permanent weakness to play against for the rest of the game. That trade is the deal the Winawer offers.
Why is castling dangerous once White's queen goes to g4?
The queen on g4 is already looking at your pawn on g7, so castling into it invites a real attack. Deal with the concrete problem first — cover g7 with ...Qc7, or open the centre with ...cxd4 — and think about the king after that.
Why does Black let the queen take on g7 and h7?
White wins two pawns and spends several moves doing it, ending up with the queen far from everything else and the rest of the pieces at home. Black uses that time to open the centre and get the initiative. It is a concrete line rather than a general rule, which is why it is worth knowing move by move.
How is the Winawer different from the Classical?
Both answer 3.Nc3. In the Classical the knight comes to f6 and the pieces stay on; in the Winawer the bishop goes to b4, pins that knight and is ready to trade itself for it, leaving White with doubled c-pawns. The Winawer usually leads to sharper positions where the exact move order matters.