The French Defense: Banzai-Leong Gambit reaches a named position after 2 moves: 1. e4 e6 2. b4
In practical games, this line matters because the early pawn and piece choices decide which middlegame plans are natural. Use the board above to learn the move order, then complete Practice without hints before adding the opening to your regular queue.
If this exact branch does not appear in your games, study the related lines below. Openings often transpose, and recognizing the family pattern is more useful than memorizing one narrow sequence.
The idea behind this line
Black builds a resilient e6 and d5 chain, then attacks White's center with ...c5.
What to look for
- Support e5 and gain kingside space.
- Use c3 and f4 to reinforce the center.
- Develop the c1 bishop before it becomes restricted when possible.
Position details
This line branches from French Defense with b4.
rnbqkbnr/pppp1ppp/4p3/8/1P2P3/8/P1PP1PPP/RNBQKBNR b KQkq - 0 2