French Defense
1.e4 e6
A defense for Black
Rock-solid, with a long-term plan baked in.
Show me the opening
0 / 2 moves
Win likelihood
Black ~45%Our chess engine scores this position at about 45% for Black - theoretically harder, but very playable. From here it would play d4.
Most openings are close - the first move gives White a small edge. What actually wins games at the beginner level is playing the plan and not hanging pieces, far more than which opening you pick. How we score this.
The idea
Black prepares ...d5 to challenge e4 while keeping a sturdy pawn chain. The trade-off: the light-squared bishop can get boxed in behind the pawns.
The plan
Black strikes at White's pawn chain with ...c5 (and sometimes ...f6), plays on the queenside, and tries to free or trade the 'bad' light-squared bishop.
What to play next
When White pushes e5 and pins your knight with Bg5, exchange on e7 so you have the queen active on e7. Then follow with ...c5 to hit White's pawn chain at its base and open lines on the queenside. Developing the knight to c6 and castling are your next priorities.
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.Bxe7 Qxe7
Watch the typical continuation
Show me the opening
0 / 12 moves
One tip for beginners
Solve the bad bishop early - plan ...b6 and ...Ba6, or trade it off. A happy French player is one whose worst piece found a job.
What to watch out for
Getting passive. The French is solid, not passive - you must counterattack with ...c5, or White's space advantage will smother you.
Is this opening working for you?
Free. Chess2EZ shows your win rate by opening and explains where each game goes wrong.
Analyze my games →