French Defence, Winawer Variation - Wikibooks

Winawer variation
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Position in Forsyth-Edwards Notation (FEN) rnbqk1nr/pp3ppp/4p3/2ppP3/3P4/P1P5/2P2PPP/R1BQKBNR
Moves: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3 6. bxc3
ECO code: C17-C19
Parent: Winawer variation

6. bxc3

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This is the main line of the Winawer variation of the French defence. The Winawer is a sharp and tactical variation of the French. White usually attempts to take the undefended g-pawn with Qg4.

Black's best move is 6...Ne7, developing the knight such that it defends g8 and can possibly reroute to f5, where it pressures White's centre.

6...Qc7, the Classical variation, backs the c-pawn and develops the queen to a good square.

6...Qa5 enters the Portisch-Hook variation where Black tries to provoke some more queenside weaknesses early on.

6...Nc6 is the rarest of the variations. Black allows 7. Qg4 and has to defend their queenside with 7...g6, leading to some very weak dark squares around their kingside.[1]

Theory table

[edit | edit source] For explanation of theory tables, see theory table and for notation, see algebraic notation.

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3 6. bxc3

6	7
Main line	...Ne7	Qg4Qc7	⩲
Classical variation	...Qc7	Qg4f5
Portisch-Hook variation	...Qa5	Bd2Qa4
...Nc6	Qg4g6	⩲

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References

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1. ↑ John Watson. "Rarer variations in the Winawer". www.chesspublishing.com. Retrieved 13 February 2026.

• Kasparov, Garry, & Keene, Raymond 1989 Batsford chess openings 2. ISBN 0-8050-3409-9.

See also

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Wikipedia has related information at French Defence.

v · t · e Chess Opening Theory 1. e4 e5 Open games 2. Nf3 2...Nc6 3. Bb5 Spanish

• Berlin →
  • Anti-Berlin
  • Beverwijk
  • L'Hermet → Berlin Wall

• Morphy →
  • Exchange
  • Closed → Marshall
  • Open
  • Arkhangelsk
  • Anderssen
  • Mackenzie

• Bird
• Classical
• Cozio
• Old Steinitz
• Schliemann

3. Bc4 Italian

• Giuoco Piano →
  • Evans gambit
  • Giuoco pianissimo
  • Rosentreter
  • Jerome ??

• Two knights defence →
  • Open
  • Knight attack →
    • Fried liver
    • Polerio

• Anti-fried liver ?!
• Blackburne shilling ?

3. Nc3 Nf6 Four knights

• Glek
• Italian
• Scotch
• Spanish
• Halloween ?!

Other

• Three knights, Steinitz
• Ponziani
• Scotch game
• Konstantinopolsky !?

2...Nf6 Russian

• Classical
• Kholmov
• Modern
• Boden-Kieseritzky !?
• Stafford ?
• Damiano trap ??

2...d6 Philidor

• Exchange
• Philidor countergambit
• Nimzowitsch
• Hanham

Other

• Busch-Gass gambit ?
• Elephant gambit ?
• Greco defence ?!
• Latvian gambit ?
• Damiano defence ??

2. f4 King's gambit 2...exf4 Accepted

• King's knight →
  • Kieseritzky
  • Schallop
  • Modern
  • Fischer
  • Lolli ?
  • Muzio ?
• Bishop's →
  • Cozio

Other Declined

• Classical
• Queen's knight
• Falkbeer

2. Nc3 Vienna

• Falkbeer →
  • Mieses
  • Stanley
  • Frankenstein-Dracula
  • Vienna gambit
• Max Lange

Other

• Bishop's opening →
  • Berlin
  • Boi
• Centre game →
  • Danish
• Leonardis
• Portuguese ?!
• Bongcloud ?

1. e4 c5 Sicilian 2. Nf3 2...Nc6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4

• Accelerated dragon →
  • Maróczy bind
• Classical
• Godiva
• Kalashnikov
• Sveshnikov

2...Nc6 other

• Rossolimo
• Delayed Alapin

2...d6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4

• Dragon →
  • Levenfish attack
  • Yugoslav attack
• Dragondorf
• Kupreichik
• Najdorf →
  • 6. Bg5
  • English attack
  • Opocensky
• Scheveningen

2...d6 other

• Moscow
• Chekhover
• Delayed Alapin

2...e6 3. d4 cxd4 4. Nxd4

• French, Normal
  • American attack
  • Four knights
  • Pin
• Kan
• Kveinis
• Paulsen-Basman
• Taimanov →
  • Bastrikov →
    • English attack
  • Szén →
    • Garry Gambit

2...e6 other

• Kramnik
• Delayed Alapin

Others

• Hyper-accelerated dragon
• Katalymov
• Nimzowitsch
• O'Kelly

Anti-Sicilians

• Alapin
• Bowdler
• Closed Sicilian →
  • Carlsen
  • Grand Prix
  • Fianchetto
• McDonnell
• Mengarini
• Smith-Morra
• Snyder
• Staunton-Cochrane
• Wing gambit

1. e4 e6 French

• Advance
• Classical
• Exchange
• Tarrasch
• Rubinstein
• Winawer

1. e4 c6 Caro-Kann

• Accelerated Panov
• Advance →
  • Short
  • van der Wiel
• Exchange
• Two knights
• Fantasy
• Hillbilly ?!

1. e4 other

• Alekhine
• Czech
• Modern
• Nimzowitsch
• Owen's
• Pirc
• Scandinavian

• Barnes ?
• Borg ?
• Corn stalk ??
• Duras ??
• 1...b5 ??

1. d4 d5 Closed games 2. c4 Queen's gambit

• Albin countergambit
• Austrian
• Chigorin
• Marshall
• Queen's gambit accepted
• Queen's gambit declined
• Slav →
  • Semi-Slav

2. Nc3

• Richter-Versov
• Irish gambit
• Jobava London

2. other

• Accelerated London
• Colle
• Levitsky !?
• Amazon ?!
• Blackmar-Diemer ?
• Mason ?
• Zurich ??

1. d4 Nf6 Indian 2. c4 e6

• Bogo-Indian
• Catalan
• Nimzo-Indian
• Queen's Indian

2. c4 g6

• King's Indian →
  • Classical
  • Four pawns attack
  • Sämisch
• Grünfeld

2. c4 other

• Accelerated queen's Indian
• Modern Benoni →
  • Benko
• Budapest
• Mexican
• Old Indian

2. Nf3

• Spielmann Indian
• Torre

2. other:

• Trompowsky
• London system (Indian)
• Paleface
• Omega ?

1. d4 f5Dutch

• Hopton
• Korchnoi
• Leningrad
• Staunton
• Stonewall →
  • Bladel

1. d4 ...other:

• English defence
• Englund gambit ?
• Horwitz
• Old Benoni
• Polish
• Rat

Flank

• Bird's (1. f4)
• English (1. c4)
• Grob (1. g4)
• King's fianchetto (1.g3)
• Larsen (1. b3)
• Zukertort/Réti (1.Nf3)

Unorthodox

• a3
• Na3
• a4
• b4
• c3
• Nc3
• d3
• e3
• f3
• h3
• Nh3
• h4