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.
French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation
This opening arises after the moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5. The key characteristic of White's fourth move e5 is that it immediately challenges Black's knight on f6 and gains space by pushing the pawn forward. This move locks the center, creating a pawn chain pointing towards Black's kingside.
From White's perspective, this is an attacking approach, aiming to cramp Black's position and restrict their piece activity, especially the knight on f6. Black, on the other hand, takes a more defensive and counterattacking stance, looking to undermine White's advanced center pawns in the coming moves.
The opening directly attacks the center by contesting control over key central squares, particularly through the tension between White's e5 pawn and Black's knight on f6. This battle for central dominance is fundamental to the French Defense's strategic complexity.
Practice puzzles and train your tactics with real positions from games that used the French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation, and sharpen your opening mastery.
Puzzle 1 of 24 - Move #7 white
You can also discover how top players used French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation to leverage key strategies to secure victories in these classic matchups.