Chess lessons › Chess openings
The Winawer French
Black pins the knight with 3...Bb4, gives the bishop for it and attacks the centre.
The idea
Black pins with ...Bb4, gives the bishop and hits the centre.
- The bishop on b4 pins the knight on c3 to White’s king.
- After a3 Bxc3+ bxc3, White’s c-pawns are doubled.
- The pawn on c5 hits d4, the base of White’s chain.
In a game: When a knight on c3 is all that protects e4, pin it with ...Bb4.
How the lesson begins
After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3, Black can play 3...Bb4, the Winawer Variation. The bishop pins the knight on c3 to your king, and that knight is the only piece protecting e4. The pawn on d5 attacks e4.
Among players rated 2000 and above on Lichess, 27% of the games that reached 3.Nc3 went on with 3...Bb4.
Find the move
White to move. The pawn on e4 is attacked, and its only defender, the knight on c3, is pinned and cannot move. Push the pawn so that it no longer needs a defender.
A hint
Use the pawn that is attacked.
Show the answer
4. e5
4.e5 is the engine’s top choice. The pawn on e5 gains space and takes f6 away from Black’s knight on g8. Lichess calls this the Winawer Variation, Advance Variation.
In numbers
How often it is played
| Rating | Value |
|---|---|
| Under 800 | Too few games |
| 800 to 1199 | Too few games |
| 1200 to 1599 | Too few games |
| 1600 to 1999 | 0.6 |
| 2000 and up | 1.6 |
How the games ended
White won 47%, 5% were drawn and Black won 48%, over 755 games that start this way, in a sample of rated Lichess games from 2026.