How to beat the French Defense

Black accepts a locked pawn chain and a bad light-squared bishop for a solid centre and counterplay with ...c5 and ...f6. In our sample, titled players scored lower against the French as White than against the Sicilian.

Three plans that work

1. Advance with 3.e5 and play on the kingside

Gain space, support e5 with d4, c3 and Nf3, and point your pieces at the black king. Black's light-squared bishop often stays shut in all game.

2. Keep Black's bad bishop bad

Avoid trades that free Black's c8 bishop. Trade off Black's good dark-squared bishop instead.

3. Use the Exchange if you want a quiet game

3.exd5 exd5 gives a symmetrical structure where the better player usually outplays the other. Good against a lower-rated French player who wants complications.

A line to play

1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3

The pitfall

Watch out for the ...c5 and ...Qb6 pressure on d4 in the Advance; don't drop the d4 pawn.

What the data says

In 362 recent games of the top 100 titled Lichess players featuring the French Defense, they scored 65% on average. Players who use it most: IM AngelitoRT (84%), GM lanchester1 (27%), IM NINDJAxx8 (69%), GM msb2 (70%), GM abhijeet1610 (50%), IM yoseph2013 (94%), IM Wildindian (62%), GM Riadovoi_jam (62%).

Prepare against the actual player

Averages only go so far. A French Defense player has their own pet variations and weak spots. Before your next game, get a free fingerprint of your opponent, or get the full prep report ($5): every variation they play, where they score worst, and a game plan for both colours.