The French Defense reaches a named position after 1 move: 1. e4 e6
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
- Strike at d4 with ...c5.
- Use ...f6 to challenge e5 when prepared.
- Solve the c8 bishop before the endgame.
Position details
The defining move is e6.
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