C00
French Defense
1. e4 e6
The French Defense is rock-solid. Black accepts a slightly cramped position and a passive light-squared bishop in exchange for a durable pawn structure and clear strategic plans.
It rewards understanding of pawn chains: who attacks the base, who breaks where. If you like maneuvering battles over tactical chaos, the French is a reliable lifelong weapon.
Key plans
- Black’s thematic breaks are ...c5 (against the base) and sometimes ...f6.
- Free the “French bishop” on c8 — it is your main problem piece.
- The Advance, Exchange, Tarrasch and Winawer are the main systems.
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