GM Marin provides an opening repertoire for Black based on 3...Bb4, commonly known as the Winawer Variation. You should know that this is one of the weaker moves for white so if you are playing as black, be prepared to attack. Qxd3 gxh6 20. Black will suffer the absence of dark square bishop. This is a dangerous and aggressive line that some skilled players will try. French Defense. The course presents a deep theoretical and practical overview of the actual variations, featuring about 130 examples and about 330 exercises to solve. With this variation we will start our in- Nc3 against your French, you'd be much better off playing the Winawer variation instead. 27:59 The French Defense | Winawer Variation | Chess Openings | IM Andrey Ostrovskiy The French Defense | Winawer Variation | Chess Openings | IM Andrey Ostrovskiy Chessfactor intermediate Opening French defence Winawer variation 12:26 Chess Openings: French Defence Chess Openings: French Defence Dereque Kelley intermediate Opening French defence 09:59 Chess Openings- French Defence … As you know one of the most played variations in french defense is winawer variation. Play may continue 6.axb4 dxc3 7.bxc3 Qc7. French Defense for black and begins with the moves: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. What is white’s strategy in winawer variation? Black should not try to hold onto the pawn with 6…f5 or 6…Nf6. Nc3 helps support the e4 pawn which is currently under attack. The Winawer variation of the French Defense is reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. With Anish Giri recently publishing a complete French repertoire featuring the Winawer Variation, it seems a good time to look at 3 Nc3 Bb4, and especially the main lines with 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3. Bxh6 Bxd3 19. Also, White's queen can sometimes be attacked. [Black "Kosten"] Bd2 a6 16. Indeed, the g7- square is Achilles heel of Black's solid setup and White tries to take advantage of it in many lines of the Winawer with Qg4. Lifetime Repertoires: The French Defense The Dangerous Winawer Variation. Nd4 Rc4 22. c3 Ra4 23. Grandmaster Varuzhan Akobian shows a game he played for the Saint Louis Arch Bishops in the U.S. The best place to take your chess game to the next level. Qg3 Nhg6 24. Play usually continues 5.Nxe4 Qxd4 6.Nc3 Nf6 and black has a very good game. Another alternative for white is to ignore the bishop on b4 and play Qg4. The exchange variation isn’t common but some players don’t enjoy the French and will try to exchange material to avoid the main lines. Qg4?! If white plays 3. This is one of the most exciting openings in the game. Bonus tip for black is that if he can exchange white’s light square bishop it will be good game. Playing f5 extends too far in front of the king’s safety and Nf6 is easily met with Bg5 pinning down the knight. With this variation we will start our in- Exchanging off this bishop (especially for a knight, instead of its dark-squared bishop counterpart!) Chess Database Usage. The database can be searched via many criteria, including chess players, chess opening, player ratings, game result, and the year the chess game was played. French Defense Winawer Variations Winawer variation of french defense is sharp opening, both side have their chances. Qg4 Qc7 8. Position after: 4. This one is being included simply for historical value as it has proven to be unpleasant for black. Learn More: French Defense: Winawer Variation: Black takes knight with bishop doubling white pawns. ♘c3 ♗b4 4. a3 is an agressive move that leads to double-edged positions. Nh5+ Kh8 25. The Portisch-Hook Winawer with 6...Qa5 is the one of the most fascinating variations in the opening, with both sides having a remarkably wide number of ways to pursue their strategies. Bb4 is the key move that makes it the French Winawer. Nc3 helps support the e4 pawn which is currently under attack. The move 3.Nd2 is known as a less ambitious way to play against the French than 3.Nc3. White gets early development with queen in threatening position. Bb4 pins down the white knight to the king and renders is useless to defend against the dxe4 attack that black is threatening. [Site "Vrnjacka Banja"] Qg4?! honza24 (1534) vs. cdeburca (1724) Annotated by: cdeburca (1784) Chess opening: French (C19), Winawer, advance, poisoned pawn, Konstantinopolsky variation White has many options here: 5.a3 This attacks the bishop and puts black to the test. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Ba3 Na5 14. h3 Bxa4 15. Black should still continue by taking with 4…dxe4. Rxa6 Nf5 0-1. The Chess Tempo Chess Database provides over two million searchable chess games. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3. Rh3 Ne7 21. C18 - French, Winawer, advance variation: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Black’s dark-squared bishop is a very important piece, as his central pawns are fixed on light squares. C18 - French, Winawer, advance variation: 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Winawer-Variation: 4. a3 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. This leads to heavily theoretical lines, whether Black plays Bb4 (Winawer Variation) or … Mikhail Botvinnik, the sixth World Champion, liked playing the Winawer Variation of the French Defense during the early part of his career but he switched to the Caro Kann and Pirc defences later on. Nh2 a6 16. dxc5 bxc5 17. The Sicilian defense (1. e4, c5) is black's most popular response to e4, especially … (a) Winawer Variation 3.Nc3 Bb4. The Winawer is the most dynamic system in the French Defense. However, white reduces the number of sharp lines considerably and there is still room for a dynamic and active play. Today we will watch some of the chess games played in winawer variation. World's Best Chess Miniatures French Defense: Winawer Variation Kunin vs Oksengoit Game was played in Moscow (Russia) in 1958 What kind of food you should eat to win more games? Instant, full access to ALL games, strategies, videos, game analyzer, and more. e5 (refusing taking the pawn, which leads into the Exchange variation) Winawer Variation. The French Defence is a chess opening characterised by the moves: Winawer-Variation: 4. a3. This is especially true if one has in mind the heavily-analyzed "Poisoned pawn" variation of the Winawer (4...c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7). after capture of white’s knight on c3 white has weakness so black’s attack on queen side often gets faster as a compensation for bishop. Black's best line is certainly the Winawer, but there are safer alternatives like the Classical or Burn Variations. In return for the bishop, Black gets a rock solid pawn struc [White "Cabrilo"] The move order will be the same 4…dxe4. I'll mostly focus on positions after 4.e5 as that is the key line allowing white to fight for an advantage out of the opening.. Rxh8+ Nxh8 25. French Defense for black and begins with the moves: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. Danish Gambit [Free Repertoire against E5], Albin Counter Gambit [Free repertoire against d4], What are The Rules of Chess Game? Bb4 pins down the white knight to the king and renders is useless to defend against the dxe4 attack that black is threatening. Also, White's queen can sometimes be attacked. White will have advantage of bishop pair. Learn More: French Defense: Winawer Variation: Black takes knight with bishop doubling white pawns. This line will be the subject of this article. The main line is for black to take Bxc3 but it’s easier for black to disrupt the center pawns by taking cxd4. Qg4?! Position after: 4. The French Defense is a sharp counterattacking weapon against white’s King Pawn opening. French, Winawer (1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4 4 e5 c5 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 bxc3) : chess opening performance statistics, strategy and tactics, famous games, PGN download, discussion forum, and more. Nc3 helps support the e4 pawn which is currently under attack. The bishop is under attack and black is free to develop his pieces while maintaining both of his central pawns. Qd3 dxc3 13. A common theme in the french defense is for black to aggressively attack the central pawns of white. What is white’s strategy in winawer variation? Nf3 This leaves white with a pawn on e5 with little protection. Bb5+ Bd7 10. [White "Short"] Korchnoi plays the Winawer and probably would have used it against Karpov except that Karpov always played 3 Nd2 avoiding the Winawer. The reason is that it gives black the opportunity to fight for the initiative from a very early stage of the game. French Defense: Advance Variation: White pushes pawn to 5th rank early. 27:59 The French Defense | Winawer Variation | Chess Openings | IM Andrey Ostrovskiy The French Defense | Winawer Variation | Chess Openings | IM Andrey Ostrovskiy Chessfactor intermediate Opening French defence Winawer variation 12:26 Chess Openings: French Defence Chess Openings: French Defence Dereque Kelley intermediate Opening French defence 09:59 Chess Openings- French Defence … Black pawn structure is very solid. [Simple Guide], Englund Gambit Trap [5 Traps-Win Quickly], Accelerated Dragon Trap [3 Traps for Quick Win], 42 Best Chess Movies All of the Time [Updated List]. [EventDate "1988.??.??"] Search the chess games database, download games, view … ♕g4 attacks both e4 and g7. This fails because no material has entered to help with the e4 pawn. French Defense: Winawer Variation - Chess Openings - Chess.com In the Winawer French, Black immediately pins the Nc3 with the dark-squared bishop, putting additional pressure on e4. There were 6 Winawers in the 1977 candidate finals match between Spassky and Korchnoi (white won 1, Black won 3 and there were 2 draws). This variation, named after Szymon Winawer and pioneered by Nimzowitsch and Botvinnik, is one of the main systems in the French, due chiefly to the latter's efforts in the 1940s, becoming the most often seen rejoinder to 3.Nc3, though in the 1980s, the Classical Variation with 3...Nf6 began a revival, and has since become more popular. [Round "38"] The French is a solid and safe defence which you will certainly meet and may like to play yourself as a reply to 1. e4. (since the apparent loss of time in the Bishop's retreat is hard for White to exploit in such a closed … e5 (refusing taking the pawn, which leads into the Exchange variation) Bc1 Bb5 18. Qxc3 Rc8 14. Besides 3.Nc3, white has another main response against the French defense, the Tarrasch variation, with 3.Nd2. Black develops queenside first, putting pressure on white's D pawn. Variations I recommend for White include the Alekhin-Chatard Attack and the Alekhin Gambit against the Winawer. 3…Bb4 – The Winawer variation The Winawer is one of the most complex lines of the French Defense. Ra4 Nxe5 24. 5.dxc5 Black will continue with Ne7 knowing that at anytime black can take the material on c5 and there is no way for white to defend it. Winawer Variation Portisch-Hook 6...Qa5 [C18] Robson - Shulman, Lubbock 2011 is a tough struggle between two top U.S. players in the line with 7 Bd2 Qa4 8 h4, which is one of the sharpest 6...Qa5 lines. Sicilian Defense. The Sicilian defense (1. e4, c5) is black's most popular response to e4, especially … The Winawer is one of the most complex lines of the French Defense. The Chess Tempo Chess Database provides over two million searchable chess games. Discussing typical opening traps that can arise in the French Defense completes the course of the French Defense. Bb4 pins down the white knight to the king and renders is useless to defend against the dxe4 attack that black is … Rg3 Qb6 19. Besides 3.Nc3, white has another main response against the French defense, the Tarrasch variation, with 3.Nd2. [PlyCount "58"] French, Winawer (1 e4 e6 2 d4 d5 3 Nc3 Bb4) : chess opening performance statistics, strategy and tactics, famous games, PGN download, discussion forum, and more. is a big concession , as it leaves the dark squares vulnerable. 6. f3 ⁈ c5! 14 The Modernized French Defense (Volume 1: The Winawer) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. It’s an alternative universe with alternative rules. [Date "1988.??.??"] This line will be the subject of this article. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Qh5 Qc7 You can browse our entire chess database from this line, move by move. Chess Database Usage. because black will take on c3 with bishop. Qd8 Rf4+ 42. French Defense Repertoire, Part Two Winawer - Petrosian Variation The Petrosian Variation of the French Winawer is typically characterized by 4....Qd7 followed by...Bxc3+, ...b6, and ...Ba6, but there are actually a number of ways that Black can achieve the same closed system of play, including with the immediate 4...b6 with the idea of answering 5.Qg4 with 5....Bf8! Rc1 Rxd4 39. so in this variation black sometimes castle on queen side, it looks dangerous for black, but black have resources  on queen side. The starting position of this database arises after the moves 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 3.Nc3 is White's most active weapon against the French Defense. You must activate JavaScript to enhance chess game visualization. White will recapture 5.Bxe4 followed by black’s Nf6. Qd3 Rh8 20. the stratgey is to attack on king with bishop pair. Nf4 Qf7 27. Classical French 3. The Petrosian Variation of the French Winawer is typically characterized by 4....Qd7 followed by...Bxc3+,...b6, and...Ba6, but there are actually a number of ways that Black can achieve the same closed system of play, including with the immediate 4...b6 with the idea of answering 5.Qg4 with 5....Bf8! Nf8 28. h6 Neg6 29. f5 Ne7 30. This is one of the most exciting openings in the game. Nc3 helps support the e4 pawn which is currently under attack. French Defense: Winawer, Fingerslip Variation - Chess Openings - Chess.com Play 1. e4 e6. In his video introduction to the course he... Watson’s Winawer Revival. In return for the Bishop Black gets a rock solid pawn structure and lots of dynamic capabilities. but there is a danger on king side. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. I’ll look at some recent games in variations that don’t generally receive the most attention. The Winawer Variation is one of the main lines in the French Defense for black and begins with the moves: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. ♘c3 ♗b4 4. a3 is an agressive move that leads to double-edged positions. [Date "1999.??.??"] C00: French defence - 1. e4 e6 - Chess Opening explorer. The database can be searched via many criteria, including chess players, chess opening, player ratings, game result, and the year the chess game was played. The Winawer variation of the French is reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. Chess Database Usage. In return for the Bishop Black gets a rock solid pawn structure and lots of dynamic capabilities. The Chess Tempo Chess Database provides over two million searchable chess games. Qh2 exf5 31. h7 Neg6 32. gxf5 Nh8 33. Rxc7+ Kxc7 [Event "Vrnjacka Banja"] The French Defense is one of black’s most popular responses to 1.e4. [ECO "C18"] Now lets start analyzing french defense winawer variations with plans for both side. Rxa6 Rxa6 29. This course is aimed at club and intermediate players and presents the theory and playing hooks in the most sharp and deciding variations of the French Defense developing after moves 1.e4 e6. In the main line of the French Defense, White protects the pawn on e4 by moving the Knight to c3. Mad, bad and dangerous to play - but not with … Black's main worries in the Winawer are: how to parry the induced dark-square weaknesses, and how to complete development, in particular, the king position and the locked out c8 bishop. Study the French Defense: Winawer, Fingerslip Variation Opening with free tools and analysis. The Winawer variation of the French is reached after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. As for instance advertised in the Poisoned pawn variation, black commonly has the option of also castling queenside to finish development, and play actively. Winawer variation of french defense is sharp opening, both side have their chances. That’s exactly what this move does for white. How to play the Winawer Poisoned Pawn variation? Rea1 Black should still continue with 4…dxe4. Qxh7 cxd4 10. 40. The Winawer Variation is one of the main lines in the French Defense for black and begins with the moves: Nc3 helps support the e4 pawn which is currently under attack. Since the question is posed very generally, I'll only give a rough overview of some of the more typical ideas behind the Winawer for black. Ba5+ Kb7 41. However, when met with the exchange variation I'm not sure what the best plan of attack because I find the position rather dull due to the relieved central tension. 5.Bd2 Many players don’t like their pieces being pinned down so they stop it at all costs. Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4 Bd7 12. Update December 2011. with IM John Watson. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 Ne7 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 c5 7. a4 Qc7 8. 4... ♗xc3+ 5. bxc3 dxe4 6. named after French players who used it in a correspondence match in 1834 Sicilian Defense. Nc3 Bb4. Kh2 1-0. Qf3 Ng8 22. White must counter attack black’s bishop or move the pawn out of harms way. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3. Re1 O-O 13. Bb4 pins down the white knight to the king and renders is useless to defend against the dxe4 attack that black is threatening. [Black "Drasko"] b6 9. Bg5 Bd7: ECO C13-C14. Black will respond with 4…c5 attacking the d4 pawn now. Below you can watch all of the lines referenced on this page and see a much deeper analysis on the Winawer Variation. Rb1 The database can be searched via many criteria, including chess players, chess opening, player ratings, game result, and the year the chess game was played. Ng4 Kg7 21. This is one of the most exciting openings in the game. French Defence Winawer Variation, Advance Variation, poisoned Pawn, Euwe-Gligoric Variation 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4 10.Kd1 Nc3 Bb4 4. Search the chess games database, download games, view … French Defense: Advance Variation: White pushes pawn to 5th rank early. Below are the different options that white may try to play against the Winawer Variation. You will learn chess openings, chess endgame, chess traps, chess ratings, theory and the best chess games of the top chess players in the world. This is a very defensive play for white but it does defend the pawn on e4. named after French players who used it in a correspondence match in 1834 Qg3 f6 26. Now lets start analyzing french defense winawer variations with plans for both side. Black’s dark-squared bishop is a very important piece, as his central pawns are fixed on light squares. and some time black stays in the center because of solid pawn center. [ECO "C19"] [Event "Hastings"] What is Black’s Strategy in winawer variation ? [PlyCount "85"] Rg1 b5 17. g4 Nh4 18. Bb4 pins down the white knight to the king and renders is useless to defend against the dxe4 attack that black is threatening. Black will take back with 4…exd5 and then develop as normal with different options as 5…Nf6 (since it’s not under attack by e5 pawn) or 5…Nc6. 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Other popular lines like the Steinitz Variation, the Burn Variation , the Winawer Variation, the Rubinstein Variation and the Tarrasch Variation will also be analyzed in detail. Nf5 15. Frequent updates – new openings, strategies and commentary are always being added. Bd3 Nhg6 26. h4 Rxa3 27. h5 There are several important lines where this can happen. 14 The Modernized French Defense (Volume 1: The Winawer) 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. It extends the center control, gets the e-pawn out of harms way, and stops black from developing the knight to the natural f6 square. Qg5+ Kc8 38. This often results in the bishop being traded, creating an imbalance of White's doubled pawns versus the two bishops advantage. Kg1 Rg4+ 43. Qg4?! This is the main line for white. The move 3.Nd2 is known as a less ambitious way to play against the French than 3.Nc3. Get Unlimited Access To All Of Our Strategies, Practice Games And More. 34. The classical variation generally continues with 5. Better is Nc6 which attacks more material for white. after having bishop pair white will take initiative on king side. Bd3 Nbc6 11. From black’s first move, he looks to block the a2-g8 diagonal which is usually a big weakness for black and prepares to take control of the light squares in the center after 2.d5. it gives white attacking chances. Black is already displaying aggression and making White react. What connects Giri to the French Defense? White can’t continue with normal moves such as Nf3 or Be2 as they both lose to dxe4. French Defence. [Result "1-0"] White retains the bishop pair, but Black gains the initiative. They reach this position: Robson goes for the ambitious 12 Bd3, and Shulman demonstrates why he one of the leading experts in these lines. Nc3 Bb4 4. From amateurs to masters, the popularity of this defense never stops to increase. Now if white tries to defend, then black can play Nf6. Chess League. White gets early development with queen in threatening position. White retains the bishop pair, but Black gains the initiative. I have recently taken a liking to the French Defence as black because I enjoy the counter-attacking options that black has to undermine white's center in the Tarrasch, Advance, and 3.Nc3 variations. It's an alternative universe with alternative rules. MatoJelic French defence Winawer variation. The Tarrasch is a line for later on in your chess life, in my opinion. Black develops queenside first, putting pressure on white's D pawn. In all of them, the main idea is the same: Black wants to attack white’s d4-pawn, starting with the pawn advance …c7-c5! Black should continue with 5…Ne7 (since the f6 is under attack) and prepare for Nf4. In these notes I will give a quick run-down on the main variations of the French, and give an example line for each variation so you can get some idea of how to play for each side. It’s an alternative universe with alternative rules. This looks like it does not defend the e4 square but it does indirectly by replacing the knight on c3 if it falls. It puts white on their back foot and gives black some very solid attacking lines. Nf6 Nc4 23. [Round "40"] While not a good move for white it is fairly common as players like to attack pieces that are pinning them down. Play usually continues with 5.a3 attacking the bishop followed by 5…Bxc3 6.Nxc3 Nc6. [EventDate "1999.??.??"]