French Defense & King's Indian Attack

French Defense

Definition

The French Defense is a robust reply to 1. e4 that begins with the moves 1…e6 and 2…d5. Black immediately challenges the e4–pawn while retaining a solid but flexible pawn structure. Its ECO (Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings) codes range from C00 to C19.

Typical Move-Order

The most common sequence is:

1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5

White now chooses among 3. Nc3 (Classical), 3. Nd2 (Tarrasch), 3. e5 (Advance), or 3. exd5 (Exchange). Each branch steers play into distinctive pawn structures and plans.

Strategic Themes

• Closed Center: After 3. e5, Black attacks the pawn chain with …c5 and …f6, while White hopes for a kingside space advantage.
• Counter-attack on d4: In the Classical and Tarrasch lines, Black pressures d4 with …c5, …Nc6, and often …Qb6.
• Bad vs. Good Bishop Debate: Black’s light-squared bishop is hemmed in by the e6-pawn, so much of the opening revolves around activating or trading it.
• Minority Attack Ideas: In the Exchange Variation, symmetrical pawns invite queenside minority attacks reminiscent of the Carlsbad structure.

Historical Significance

The opening takes its name from correspondence games between the Paris Chess Club and the London Chess Club (1834–36), where the French side frequently employed 1…e6. Notable French champions such as Aaron Nimzowitsch, Mikhail Botvinnik, Viktor Korchnoi, and more recently Ding Liren and Alireza Firouzja, have kept the defense at the highest levels.

Principal Variations

1. Advance (C02): 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6
2. Classical (C11–C19): 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 (or 3. Nf3) 3…Nf6 4. Bg5 Bb4 (Winawer) or 4…Be7 (Steinitz/Rubinstein)
3. Tarrasch (C03–C09): 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2
4. Exchange (C01): 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5 exd5

Illustrative Mini-Game

In the Advance Variation, a classic attacking idea is shown in a short skirmish:

White sacrifices a pawn to accelerate development and open lines toward the black king.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• Bobby Fischer, usually a devoted 1…e5 player, surprised the world by adopting the French (Winawer) against Geller in Candidates 1962—he won a sparkling game featuring opposite-side castling.
• The term “Poisoned Pawn” is not reserved for the Najdorf; in the French Winawer (6…Qxb2) an early queen grab invites ferocious attacks, leading to some of the sharpest theory in chess.
• Because opening databases show a roughly 50 % score for 1…e6 at all levels, the French Defense is sometimes dubbed “the great equalizer.”

King’s Indian Attack (KIA)

Definition

The King’s Indian Attack is a flexible system for White characterized by the development pattern g3, Bg2, Nf3, 0-0, d3, and e4 (often in that order). Rather than a single opening, it is a set-up that can be reached against many black defenses, most famously against the French (1. e4 e6 2. d3) and the Sicilian (1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 d6 3. g3).

Typical Move-Order

Versus the French:

1. e4 e6 2. d3 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. Ngf3 c5 5. g3 Nc6 6. Bg2 Be7 7. 0-0 0-0 8. Re1

White defers the central pawn clash while completing kingside development.

Strategic Themes

• Universal Structure: White builds a pawn chain d3-e4 supported by f2-pawn, then prepares for the thrust e4-e5 or f2-f4.
• King-Side Attack: Typical plans include h2-h4-h5, Nf3-h2-g4, or Bc1-g5 targeting h7 or g7.
• Deferred Central Tension: By not playing d4 early, White sidesteps heavy theory and forces Black to reveal their structure first.
• Piece Play over Pawns: Knights often maneuver to g4/e4 or c4/d6 squares, echoing themes from the King’s Indian Defense, but with colors reversed.

Historical Significance

The term was first popularized in the 1950s when U.S. grandmaster Robert James Fischer adopted the setup with devastating effect, scoring +8 =2 −0 in the 1966/67 U.S. Championship alone. Other adherents include Spassky, Petrosian, Adams, and more recently Magnus Carlsen (e.g., Carlsen-Radjabov, Wijk aan Zee 2013).

Model Game

Fischer – Myagmarsuren, Sousse Interzonal 1967

White’s slow build-up culminated in a direct kingside assault that Black could not meet.

Typical Plans vs. Different Defenses

• Against the French: After …d5 and …c5, White can later push e4-e5, then c2-c4 undermining d5.
• Against the Sicilian: White often plays c2-c3 and d3-d4 in one go, launching an f-pawn storm against Black’s castled king.
• Against the Caro-Kann: The KIA transposes to a Panov-like structure with colors reversed, offering rich middlegame chances.

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• The KIA can be viewed as the reverse of the King’s Indian Defense with an extra tempo—hence its name.
• Because move orders vary, the system is a favorite weapon for anti-theoretical players who still want dynamic chances.
• Fischer reportedly used to jot the letters “KIA” (a play on “killed in action”) on his score sheet whenever he employed the opening.
• In the U.S. Championship 1957/58, Fischer scored 6½/7 with the KIA, prompting opponents to avoid symmetrical setups altogether.

Connection to the French Defense

Many players meet 1…e6 with 2. d3 specifically to enter a King’s Indian Attack. While avoiding mainstream French theory, White maintains the option of transposing back to open French lines if Black mis-handles the move order.