French Defense Winawer Winckelmann Riemer Gambit
French Defense
Definition
The French Defense is a classical reply to 1.e4 that starts with the moves 1...e6 followed by 2...d5. Black immediately challenges the e-pawn from a solid, semi-closed structure in which the light-squared bishop is temporarily hemmed in by its own pawn chain. The ECO codes for the French range from C00 to C19.
Typical Move-Order
The opening usually begins:
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
From this tabiya White must decide whether to protect the e-pawn (Advance Variation 3.e5), exchange it (Exchange Variation 3.exd5), or maintain the central tension with 3.Nc3 or 3.Nd2.
Strategic Themes
- Pawn Chain Battles: The pawn structure (e4–d4 vs. e6–d5) dictates that White plays on the kingside and center, while Black counter-attacks the base of the chain with ...c5 or breaks with ...f6.
- Light-Squared Bishop “Problem”: Black’s c8-bishop is often shut in, so plans commonly revolve around liberating it with ...b6, ...a5 & ...Ba6 or rerouting it via d7–e8–h5/g6.
- Counter-Punching Style: The French is less about early piece activity and more about building a solid fortress, waiting for the moment to strike at White’s center.
Historical Significance
The name comes from an 1834 correspondence match between the City of London and a Parisian club, in which the opening was championed by the French players. It has been a mainstay of world-class play ever since, favored by luminaries such as Aron Nimzowitsch, Viktor Korchnoi, and more recently Alexander Morozevich and Ding Liren.
Illustrative Example
The sample game fragment comes from the Winawer Variation (see below) and highlights both the tactical possibilities for White and the long-term structural resources for Black.
Interesting Facts
- The French is one of the very few 1...e6 defenses where Black castles queenside more often than kingside, especially in the Winawer and Classical Variations.
- In the 1992 Fischer–Spassky rematch, Fischer used the French twice as Black, splitting the results (one loss, one draw).
- Deep learning engines such as AlphaZero have shown a surprising affinity for the French Defense, preferring it to more “engine-approved” openings like the Petroff in self-play experiments.
Winawer Variation (French Defense)
Definition
The Winawer Variation is one of the sharpest branches of the French Defense, arising after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. By pinning the knight, Black increases pressure on d4 and prepares to undermine the e-pawn without immediately blocking the c8-bishop, at the cost of doubling White’s c-pawns if the bishop exchanges on c3.
Typical Continuations
- e4 e6
- d4 d5
- Nc3 Bb4
- e5 c5
4...Ne7 and 4...b6 are playable but less ambitious. - a3 Bxc3+
- bxc3
The position becomes asymmetrical: White owns the bishop pair and a space advantage, while Black relies on piece play against White’s “ugly” pawn structure.
Strategic Themes
- Double-Edged Imbalance: White’s bishops and center vs. Black’s better structure and counter-play on d4 and the light squares.
- Poisoned Pawn Line: 7.Qg4 Qc7 8.Qxg7—for decades considered dubious for Black, modern engines now think Black holds with razor-sharp play.
- Endgame Pressure: If the queens come off, Black often fixes the c-pawns with ...c4 and blockades, slowly encircling d4 while White tries to activate the kingside majority.
Historical Notes
Named after the Polish-French master Szymon Winawer (1838–1919), who employed the line at Paris 1867. The variation has appeared in multiple World Championship matches, notably Karpov–Korchnoi 1978 and Anand–Gelfand 2012.
Illustrative Example
The 15-move fragment above (Shirov – Van Wely, Wijk aan Zee 1996) shows the famous Poisoned Pawn line in action—White is three pawns up but behind in development while Black’s pieces swarm around the uncastled king.
Interesting Facts
- Grandmasters Shirov and Morozevich have both scored spectacular attacking wins with the Winawer—on opposite sides of the board.
- The line 4.e5 is so popular that 4.exd5 exd5 5.Bd3 (the Winawer Exchange) is sometimes called the “Positional Winawer” by contrast.
- Winawer himself never faced 4.e5; the move became fashionable only in the 20th century.
Winckelmann-Riemer Gambit (Blackmar-Diemer Gambit)
Definition
The Winckelmann-Riemer Gambit (WRG) is an aggressive sub-variation of the Blackmar-Diemer Gambit that arises against the Bogoljubow Defense. The starting position is reached after:
- d4 d5
- e4 dxe4
- Nc3 Nf6
- f3 exf3
- Nxf3 g6
- Bc4 (the critical WRG move)
White sacrifices a second pawn to accelerate piece activity, aiming at f7 and the dark squares around Black’s king.
Strategic Ideas
- Rapid Development: White’s pieces (bishop on c4, knight on f3, queen usually to e1 or h4) coordinate toward f7 before Black can consolidate.
- King in the Center: Even if Black fianchettoes with ...Bg7, castling can be risky because White’s rook often joins the attack via the e-file.
- Material vs. Initiative: Black holds two extra pawns but must walk a tactical tightrope; one misstep can lead to a mating net.
Historical & Naming Notes
The line is named after two German BDG devotees, Erich Winckelmann and Curt Riemer, who analyzed and popularized the gambit in the 1920s–30s BDG correspondence circles. Though never accepted in top-level play, it has a cult following in club and online blitz arenas.
Typical Continuations
After 6...Bg7 7.O-O O-O 8.Qe1!, White threatens Qh4, Bh6, and sometimes Qh4-Ng5 ideas.
- ...Bg7
- O-O O-O
- Qe1 Nc6
9.Qh4 Bf5 10.Bh6 Bxh6 11.Qxh6 with dangerous pressure.
Illustrative Example
The position after 19.Rxf3 (simulated) shows the typical WRG imbalance: Black is still two pawns up, yet every piece in White’s army is eyeing the black king.
Interesting Facts
- A 2007 ChessBase database search revealed that White scores nearly 60 % in blitz WRG games—a striking figure for a double-pawn gambit.
- The WRG motto among fans is “Tempo is worth two pawns,” neatly summarizing its philosophy.
- In the pre-engine era, the gambit was considered almost unsound; modern silicon finds plenty of dynamic resources, making it a dangerous weapon at faster time controls.