French Defense Main Line: Alekhine Chatard Attack
French Defense
Definition
The French Defense is a classical response to the King’s Pawn Opening, characterized by the moves 1. e4 e6. Black immediately contests the center with the idea …d5 on the next move, creating a solid but somewhat asymmetrical pawn structure. The opening is catalogued as C00–C19 in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings (ECO).
Usage in Play
After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5, White must decide how to resolve the central tension. Common continuations include:
- Advance Variation: 3.e5 – White gains space; Black strikes back with …c5 and …Nc6.
- Exchange Variation: 3.exd5 exd5 – Leads to symmetrical structures, often drawish but still rich in plans.
- Tarrasch Variation: 3.Nd2 – Sidesteps the pin …Bb4; emphasizes piece play.
- Winawer Variation: 3.Nc3 Bb4 – Highly theoretical, sharp play on opposite wings.
Strategic Significance
The French Defense is famous for its characteristic light-squared pawn chain (e6–d5) and semi-open c- and f-files. Typical strategic themes include:
- Counterattacking the d4 pawn with …c5 (the “French Counter-Thrust”).
- Good knight vs. bad bishop: Black’s light-squared bishop can be hemmed in by its own e6-pawn, while Black’s knights often thrive on c6 and f5/e4.
- Minority attacks on the queenside (…b6, …a5) versus White’s kingside pawn storms in lines like the Advance or Winawer.
Historical Context
The name “French Defense” dates back to an 1834 correspondence match between Paris and London, where the Parisians repeatedly employed 1…e6. It has since been championed by world champions such as Capablanca (as White and Black), Botvinnik, Korchnoi, Karpov, and modern experts like Maxime Vachier-Lagrave.
Illustrative Mini-Game
In this fragment from a typical Winawer Poisoned Pawn, Black’s queen sortie to a4 illustrates the razor-sharp theory that has kept the French Defense at the forefront of opening research for nearly two centuries.
Interesting Facts
- During the 1978 Karpov–Korchnoi World Championship, fully five French Defenses appeared, showcasing its World-Championship pedigree.
- Despite its reputation as “solid,” the French happily supports uncompromising gambits such as the Milner-Barry (in the Tarrasch) and the Alekhine–Chatard Attack (see below).
- AlphaZero’s self-play games revealed a surprising fondness for French-type pawn structures, reviving interest among engine users.
Main Line (in opening theory)
Definition
In chess literature, the “main line” of an opening is the principal variation—the sequence of moves regarded by theory as the most critical or commonly played for both sides. Authors usually present a main line first, then explore alternatives (sidelines).
Usage
When annotators write something like “the main line continues 10…O-O,” they are indicating:
- The move is theoretically respected and heavily analyzed.
- It likely appears in many top-level games and databases.
- Departing from it constitutes a sideline, sub-line, or sometimes a novelty.
Strategic/Historical Significance
The concept of a main line helps structure opening knowledge:
- Theoretical Benchmark – Main lines serve as yardsticks; engines and humans alike test novelties against them.
- Pedagogical Tool – Repertoire books often teach a single, digestible main line for club players.
- Evolution Over Time – What is “main” in one era may become obsolete or replaced (e.g., the Najdorf’s 7…Be7 overtaking 7…Qb6 in popularity).
Example: Main Line of the Ruy Lopez
One canonical illustration is the “Closed Ruy Lopez Main Line”:
1. e4 e5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Bb5 a6 4. Ba4 Nf6 5. O-O Be7 6. Re1 b5 7. Bb3 d6 8. c3 O-O 9. h3
Here, 9.h3 crowns the main line, preventing …Bg4 and preparing d4. Countless World Championship games—Lasker–Tarrasch 1908 to Carlsen–Caruana 2018—have travelled this route.
Interesting Nuggets
- The term “main line” was borrowed from 19th-century railway jargon, implying the most direct route between two hubs.
- Modern databases sometimes list several co-equal “main lines” when move frequencies are close; human authors still usually pick one.
Alekhine–Chatard Attack
Definition
The Alekhine–Chatard Attack (also called the Chatard–Alekhine Attack or Chatard Gambit) is an aggressive gambit in the French Defense’s Classical System. The critical starting position arises after:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bg5 Be7 5. e5 Nfd7 6. h4!?
White threatens 7.h5 and 8.Bxe7 Qxe7 9.Qg4 swinging the queen to g7 or h7. In many lines White sacrifices the h-pawn (and sometimes the g-pawn) for speedy development and a direct king-side assault.
Typical Continuations
- 6…Bxg5 7.hxg5 Qxg5 8.Nh3 Qe7 9.Qg4 – White’s queen and knight collaborate on the f5 and g7 squares.
- 6…c5 7.Bxe7 Qxe7 8.Nb5 – Hits d6 and c7, blending positional and tactical threats.
Strategic Ideas
- Time vs. Material: White often gives up a pawn (or two) to rip open g- and h-files before Black castles safely.
- Piece Activity: Knights jump to b5 or f4, bishops glare at the kingside, and the queen lifts to g4/h5.
- Black’s Defensive Tasks: Accurate moves like …h6, …Nc6, and timely queen exchanges can neutralize the attack—hence the line’s sharp, do-or-die reputation.
Historical Notes
Named after French amateur Henri Chatard (who introduced 6.h4 in the 1890s) and World Champion Alexander Alekhine, who revitalized and refined the gambit in the 1920s. Alekhine used it to defeat several masters, including in the 1925 Baden-Baden tournament.
Illustrative Game
A short but instructive miniature is Alekhine – Bogaerts, Brussels 1921:
The sacrificial storm on h- and g-files left Black hopeless within 25 moves.
Interesting Facts
- Grandmasters Shirov and Morozevich have occasionally resuscitated the line in modern play, scoring spectacular wins in rapid and blitz events.
- Engines once dismissed the gambit, but neural-network AIs give it renewed respect—showing dynamic equality with perfect play.
- Because it begins with the modest-looking pawn push 6.h4, club players sometimes spring it as a surprise weapon against well-booked French aficionados.