ECO code: C00
French Defense: Chigorin Variation
The Chigorin Variation of the French Defense arises after the moves 1. e4 e6 2. Qe2. This is an uncommon and somewhat offbeat choice by White, where instead of developing a knight or bishop, White immediately supports the e4-pawn with the queen.
Characteristic: The defining feature of this move is the early queen development to e2, which aims to reinforce the central pawn on e4 while keeping options flexible for White's kingside development. It also avoids some of the heavily analyzed main lines of the French Defense.
Attacking or Defensive: From White’s perspective, this move is primarily defensive, as it shores up the center and prepares for solid development rather than launching an immediate attack. Black can respond actively to challenge the center and exploit White’s early queen move, which can be a target for tempo gains.
Center Control: The Chigorin Variation supports the center with the queen rather than immediately contesting it with minor pieces. White maintains a central presence but does not aggressively attack the center at this stage.
This opening is defined by the position shown on the board below. The moves displayed are a typical sequence that leads to it, but different sequences can reach the same position and still carry the same opening name.
Practice puzzles and train your tactics with real positions from games that used the French Defense: Chigorin Variation, and sharpen your opening mastery.
Puzzle 1 of 7 - Move #7 black