French Defense: Steinitz Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 a6 4.Nf3 Nf6 5.e5 Nfd7
Steinitz Variation
1.2.3.4.5.
What Is The Steinitz Variation?
5.e5 defines the Steinitz. It kicks the f6 knight and freezes the centre into the French chain: White on d4 and e5, Black on d5 and e6. White owns the space, Black owns a target. The base of White's chain is d4, and every sound Black plan here is built around striking it with ...c5. The retreat to d7 is not wasted time: that knight guards c5 and makes the break possible.
...a6 earns its tempo: it takes b5 from White's knight and bishop, so ...c5 and ...Qb6 arrive without interruption, and it prepares ...b5, which finally gives the c8 bishop a diagonal. White props up d4 with c3, Be3 and Qd2. Games turn on whether Black cracks d4 before White turns the e5 clamp into a kingside attack.
The Named Lines Of The Steinitz Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Gledhill Attack | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.Qg4 |
| Boleslavsky Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.Nf3 Nc6 7.Be3 |
| Bradford Attack Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.dxc5 Bxc5 7.Qg4 |
| Brodsky-Jones Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.e5 Nfd7 5.f4 c5 6.dxc5 Nc6 7.a3 Bxc5 8.Qg4 O-O 9.Nf3 f6 |