Tree path 5 levels French Defense › Normal Variation › French Defense › Paulsen Variation › French Defense: Marshall Gambit
- Chess Codex
- French Defense C00
- Normal Variation C00
- French Defense C00
- Paulsen Variation C10
- French Defense: Marshall Gambit C10 you are here
French Defense: Marshall Gambit
Overview
French Defense: Marshall Gambit is a sacrificial opening line filed under ECO C10 in the Open Games group. The defining idea is the early concession of material to seize the initiative and unbalance the position.
The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.
The line arises from 6 plies — specifically the moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 c5.
In the opening tree, this line branches off from French Defense: Paulsen Variation, part of the broader French Defense system.
Use the board to walk through every move, check how the position has scored on Lichess, or take it head-to-head against Stockfish.
- ECO code
- C10
- Group
- Open Games (C)
- Plies
- 6
This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.
Statistics from Lichess
1,592,618 games · White 55.4% / Draw 4.3% / Black 40.3%
| Moves | Games | W / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| exd5 | 724,842 | |
| Nf3 | 324,326 | |
| dxc5 | 244,094 | |
| Bb5+ | 87,143 | |
| Be3 | 86,072 | |
| e5 | 78,628 | |
| Bf4 | 12,194 | |
| f3 | 10,087 |
Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 01:22:51
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Submissions are reviewed before publishing.