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OPENING
French Defense
Counter-punch specialist. Let White overextend, then break through.
“Let them push, let them stretch, let them break — then we cut.”
— Boris, your coach
29 lessons~4 hoursPlayed by Viktor Korchnoi
Progress0 / 29
What you’ll learn
- Build a solid pawn chain with e6 and d5
- Attack the base of White's chain with c5
- Nc3 invites the sharp Winawer with Bb4
- Nd2 avoids the pin but is less aggressive
- The light-squared bishop is restricted but the structure is rock-solid
- Qb6 pressures b2 and d4 simultaneously
Start the course
The French Defense Basics
e6, d5, c5 — Your Three Weapons
1
The French Defense Basics
e6, d5, c5 — Your Three Weapons2
Punishing the Exchange
When White Trades Too EarlyThe Advance: c5 and Qb6
Pressure on b2 and d4The Advance: Knight to e7
The Flexible AlternativeThe Classical French
Nf6 — Force White's HandThe Tarrasch Variation
Active Queen, Open GameAttack the Pawn Chain
Base and Head — Two TargetsSolving the Bad Bishop
Three Ways to Free ItThe Queenside Storm
When White Castles QueensideThe Kingside Pawn Storm
g5 and h5 — March ForwardThe Rubinstein Variation
Solid and SimpleThe Winawer Variation
Bb4 — Pin and ProvokeWhite Plays the KIA
The Slow Setup — Punish ItWhite Plays Both Knights Early
Nf3+Nc3 — No Pawn Chain PossibleThe Wing Gambit
Don't Take — Play b6Exchange with c4
When White Gets AggressiveThe MacCutcheon
Bg5 — Counter with Bb4Punish Queenside Castling
White Castles into Your AttackDon't Grab the d4 Pawn
Bb5+ Discovered AttackDon't Play Nxd4 Qxd4
Bb5+ Strikes AgainWinawer Queen Trap
Nb3 — No EscapeThe Boomerang Knight
Ndxe5! Wins a PawnDon't Take on d4 with the Knight
The Pawn Is PoisonedPetrosian's Queenside Lock
Clarke vs Petrosian · 1958Nakamura Punishes Overextension
Stukopin vs Nakamura · 2015Ivanchuk's Brilliant Nb8!
Topalov vs Ivanchuk · 2008Anand Beats Kasparov
Kasparov vs Anand · 1991Uhlmann's Sacrifice
Ciocaltea vs Uhlmann · 1956Nepo's Queenside Storm
Romanov vs Nepomniachtchi · 2007