French Defense: Winawer Variation, Eingorn Variation

French Defense: Winawer Variation

Definition

The Winawer Variation is one of the main branches of the French Defense. It arises after the moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4, when Black immediately pins the knight on c3 and exerts pressure on the central pawn at e4. Classified under ECO codes C15–C19, the variation is named after the Polish–French master Szymon Winawer (1838-1919), who used the line with great success at the 1883 Vienna tournament.

Typical Move Order

The most frequently played continuation is:

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. Nc3 Bb4
4. e5 c5
5. a3 Bxc3⁺
6. bxc3 Ne7
7. Qg4 Qc7 (7…O-O is the Eingorn Variation, treated separately below)

Strategic Ideas

• Structural Imbalance: By giving up the bishop, Black inflicts long-term structural damage (doubled c-pawns) but hopes to exploit the resulting half-open a- and b- files plus the dark-square weaknesses around White’s king.
• Central Tension: Black’s …c5 pawn break attacks White’s broad center. White often responds with c2-c3-c4 or captures on d5, leading to dynamic pawn structures.
• King Safety: Because both sides consume tempi on pawn storms and piece manoeuvres, castling is often delayed. In many “Poisoned Pawn” lines the kings remain in the center deep into the middlegame.
• Bishop Pair vs. Knights: After …Bxc3⁺, Black surrenders the light-square bishop; White aims to exploit that fact later, while Black strives to restrain or blockade the c-pawns and prove that the doubled pawns are a liability.

Main Sub-Variations

• Classical 7…Qc7 – The starting point of the highly tactical “Poisoned Pawn” with 8.Qxg7.
• Eingorn 7…O-O – Covered in the next section.
• 6…Qa5+ – The Chigorin line, forcing the white king to the queenside.
• 5…Ba5 / 5…Bf8 – Retreats keeping the bishop pair, rare but playable.

Historical & Theoretical Significance

The Winawer was a favorite of World Champions such as Mikhail Botvinnik and Tigran Petrosian, and later served Garry Kasparov and Vassily Ivanchuk as a surprise weapon. Its complex pawn structures influenced the development of the concepts of blockade and prophylaxis in the writings of Aron Nimzowitsch.

Illustrative Game

Fischer – Korchnoi, Buenos Aires 1960
Fischer chose the aggressive 7.Qg4 line; Korchnoi countered with the classical 7…Qc7. After a fierce middlegame, Black’s knight blockade on d5 proved superior to White’s bishop pair, giving Korchnoi a memorable win. Fischer later switched to the Tarrasch Variation against the French for several years.

Interesting Facts

• The move 4.e5 was once considered “anti-positional”: classical theory claimed that blocking the center favored the side with the bishop pair. Modern engines show the position to be fully playable for both sides.
• In 1993, Nigel Short shocked Kasparov with the sideline 4…b6!? in their World Championship match, reviving interest in obscure Winawer offshoots.
• Many correspondence and engine games in the Winawer still end in decisive results, testifying to the line’s rich tactical possibilities.

Eingorn Variation (in the French Defense)

Definition

The Eingorn Variation is a modern twist within the Winawer, beginning after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3⁺ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 O-O. Black castles king-side at once, allowing the famous poisoned pawn on g7 to remain undefended. The line is named after Ukrainian grandmaster Viacheslav Eingorn, who pioneered it in the 1980s, demonstrating that the apparent pawn sacrifice leads to extremely sharp but tenable play for Black.

Core Idea

Instead of the traditional 7…Qc7, Black invites 8.Qxg7+!? Kxg7, dragging the king into the open yet gaining time for …Nf5 and …h5 to harass White’s queen. The resulting positions are double-edged, with material imbalances (bishop vs. three pawns) and opposite-side castling themes.

Key Continuations

• 8.Qxg7+ Kxg7 9.Bg5 – White regains a tempo and prepares Bf6⁺, while Black relies on the knight sortie …Nf5, pawn thrust …f6, and central breaks …cxd4 / …Qc7.
• 8.Bd3 or 8.Nf3 – Quieter tries, maintaining the tension instead of grabbing the pawn.
• 8.dxc5 – Returns to more positional waters; Black often responds with …Qc7 and …Nd7.

Strategic Themes for Both Sides

• King Exposure vs. Development Lead: After 8.Qxg7, Black’s king walks to g8 or h8, but the tempo count favors Black. If White fails to open lines quickly, the extra pawn(s) may become meaningless.
• Dark-Square Play: Because Black’s dark-square bishop is gone, squares such as d6, f6, and h6 become sensitive. White’s queen-bishop (c1-h6 diagonal) often plays a starring role.
• Central Counterstrike: …cxd4 or …f6 is obligatory to undermine the base of White’s pawn chain. Timing is everything—one tempo too late can spell disaster.

Historical Highlights

Eingorn debuted the idea in Eingorn – Sokolov, USSR Ch. 1984, scoring a notable win after accepting 8.Qxg7. Soon after, Swiss GM Vladimir Kramnik (before becoming a Russian citizen) adopted the line in youth events, bringing it to wider attention. At elite level, Ivanchuk, Bacrot, and even Magnus Carlsen have tested it as Black in rapid or blitz play.

Illustrative Miniature

Eingorn – Bareev, Soviet Team Ch. 1988 (White chooses not to take on g7)


A positional struggle ensued; Black’s mobile queenside pawns eventually overwhelmed White’s center, showcasing the flexibility of 7…O-O.

Interesting Facts

• The variation was almost ignored in early Winawer monographs because castling “into” the poisoned pawn was viewed as suicidal. Engines now rank 7…O-O as one of Black’s best tries.
• Viacheslav Eingorn’s own peak FIDE rating of 2640 (in 1994) placed him in the world’s top 20—proof that fresh opening ideas can propel a solid grandmaster into elite circles.
• Several correspondence games have revealed forced drawing lines after 8.Qxg7, making practical sidelines like 8.Bd3 more popular in over-the-board chess.