French Defense: Winawer Variation

The Winawer Variation of the French Defense (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4) is one of the main systems of the French. Black pins the c3-knight and forces White to resolve the tension in the centre.

Origins

The variation is named after Szymon Winawer and was pioneered by Aron Nimzowitsch and Mikhail Botvinnik. Largely thanks to Botvinnik's efforts in the 1940s it became the most common answer to 3.Nc3, until the Classical Variation (3...Nf6) revived in the 1980s and overtook it.

The idea

White usually answers 4.e5, gaining space and hoping to show that the bishop on b4 is misplaced. The main line continues 4...c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3, when White has doubled queenside pawns but a strengthened centre, a half-open b-file, kingside space and the bishop pair. Black's kingside is weaker than usual without the dark-squared bishop, which gives White attacking chances, but the long-term features of the structure favour Black.

Main lines

• 4.e5, the Advance Variation, 4...c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7:
  • 7.Qg4, inviting great complications. Black can give up two kingside pawns in the Poisoned Pawn Variation, 7...Qc7 8.Qxg7 Rg8 9.Qxh7 cxd4, castle with 7...O-O, or play 7...Kf8. Judit Polgár is an expert on this line, and Garry Kasparov has played it;
  • 7.Nf3, a natural developing line, and 7.a4, which prepares Ba3 and was used successfully by Vasily Smyslov and Bobby Fischer;
  • 7.h4, a more aggressive try. 6...Qc7, 6...Qa5 and 6...Nc6 are alternatives to 6...Ne7. After 5.a3 Black can also keep the pin with 5...Ba5, the Armenian Variation, enriched by Rafael Vaganian.
• 4.exd5 exd5, the Delayed Exchange Variation, where White tries to show that the bishop on b4 is misplaced.
• 4.Ne2, the Alekhine-Maróczy Gambit, 4...dxe4 5.a3.
• 4.Bd2, an old move sometimes played by Rashid Nezhmetdinov (Fingerslip Variation in this database).

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

• Black damages White's queenside structure and gets long-term counterplay against the doubled pawns.
• Unbalanced positions in which both sides have attacking chances.

Weaknesses

• Without the dark-squared bishop, Black's kingside and g7 are vulnerable, especially to Qg4.
• 7.Qg4 leads to great tactical complications that Black must know well.

Who should play it

The Winawer suits French players who like sharp, unbalanced positions and are ready to study the 7.Qg4 complications.

The numbers

On Lichess the results are level under 1400 (48.1% for Black against 48.0%), and White leads from there on: 49.5% against 46.7% at 1400–1799, 49.4% against 45.6% at 1800–2199 and 48.1% against 44.9% from 2200 up. In about 31,800 master games White won 37.5%, Black 24.2%, and 38.3% were drawn.