French Defense: Winawer Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4
What Is The Winawer Variation?
The Winawer starts a fight on move three: 3...Bb4 pins the knight that guards e4, so White must push 4.e5 and commit the center. After 4...c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 the defining trade is complete. Black gives up the dark-squared bishop to saddle White with doubled c-pawns, and White accepts the damage because the missing bishop leaves Black's kingside dark squares weak for the entire game.
White attacks where the bishop used to defend: Qg4 hits g7 immediately, and the g and h pawns join later. Black hammers the crippled queenside with Qa5, Ne7 heading for f5, and pressure down the c-file. Castle kingside carelessly as Black and White's attack arrives first; strike c3 and c2 in time and the endgame is yours. Speed decides, not material.
What Do Players Choose At The Decision Point?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nf6 | 32% | 1,336 | |
| dxe4 | 28% | 1,153 | |
| Bb4 | 18% | 765 | |
| c5 | 12% | 502 |
How Does Play Continue From Here?
| Move | Share | Games | |
|---|---|---|---|
| e5 | 44% | 338 | |
| exd5 | 19% | 145 | |
| Bd3 | 12% | 90 | |
| Bd2 | 7% | 55 |
The Named Lines Of The Winawer Variation
| Line | Moves |
|---|---|
| Advance Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 cxd4 6.axb4 dxc3 7.Nf3 |
| Alekhine-Maróczy Gambit | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Ne2 |
| Fingerslip Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2 |
| Delayed Exchange Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 |
| Petrosian Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Qd7 |
| Advance Variation, Moscow Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Qg4 |
| Bogoljubow Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2 |
| Fingerslip Variation, Schwarz's Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2 Ne7 5.Nb1 |
| Retreat Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 |
| Alekhine Gambit Accepted | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Ne2 dxe4 5.a3 Bxc3+ |
| Fingerslip Variation, Kunin Double Gambit | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2 dxe4 5.Qg4 Qxd4 |
| Bogoljubow Variation, Icelandic Defense | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2 Ne7 6.f4 |
| Kondratiyev Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd3 c5 5.exd5 Qxd5 6.Bd2 |
| Retreat Variation, Armenian Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Ba5 6.b4 cxd4 |
| Exchange Variation, Canal Attack | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 Ne7 6.Qh5 |
| Winckelmann-Reimer Gambit | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.a3 Bxc3+ 5.bxc3 dxe4 6.f3 |
| Maróczy-Wallis Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 cxd4 6.axb4 dxc3 |
| Classical Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qc7 |
| Portisch-Hook Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Qa5 |
| Alekhine Gambit, Kan Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Ne2 dxe4 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.Nxc3 Nc6 |
| Advance Variation, with h4 | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.h4 Qc7 |
| Advance Variation, Smyslov Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 Ne7 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 c5 7.a4 Qc7 |
| Advance Variation, with Bd3 | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Bd3 Qc7 |
| Positional Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Nf3 Qc7 8.h4 |
| Fingerslip Variation, Main Line | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.Bd2 dxe4 5.Qg4 Nf6 6.Qxg7 Rg8 7.Qh6 |
| Eingorn Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Kf8 |
| Poisoned Pawn Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 Qc7 |
| Warsaw Variation | 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Ne7 7.Qg4 O-O |