French Chigorin, 2...c5
French Defense: Chigorin Variation
Definition
The Chigorin Variation is an off-beat line of the French Defense that begins 1. e4 e6 2.Qe2. The move 2.Qe2 sidesteps the main French battlegrounds that arise after 2.d4 or 2.Nc3/Nd2, keeps White’s central intentions flexible, and prepares an eventual e4-e5 thrust or d2-d4 advance under more favorable circumstances.
Typical Move Order
The most common continuation is
- 2…d5 3.d3 – Chigorin’s original idea; a slow buildup.
- 2…c5 3.Nf3 – a direct test of Black’s French-Sicilian hybrid.
- 2…b6 – the so-called Hort System, delaying …d5 in favor of …Bb7.
Strategic Ideas
- Flexibility: By withholding d2-d4, White keeps the central pawn structure undefined, making Black’s standard French plans (…c5, …f6) harder to employ.
- King’s-side pressure: Plans with g2-g3, Bg2, Nf3, and e4-e5 mirror the King’s Indian Attack, aiming for a direct assault on the Black king after castling short.
- Psychological weapon: The rarity of 2.Qe2 forces French experts out of their well-rehearsed theory as early as move two.
Historical Notes
Named after the dynamic Russian master Mikhail Chigorin, who used the line in the late 19th century to avoid the heavily analysed classical French structures of his day. It enjoyed a brief renaissance in the 1970s thanks to Bent Larsen and Viktor Korchnoi, and it is an occasional surprise weapon for modern elite players such as Alexander Grischuk.
Illustrative Game
Chigorin–Pillsbury, Hastings 1895: 1.e4 e6 2.Qe2 d5 3.d3 Nf6
4.Nf3 c5 5.g3 Be7 6.Bg2 O-O 7.O-O, when White eventually broke with
e4-e5 and won a smooth attacking game.
Interesting Facts
- Because the queen leaves its starting square so early, beginners are often warned that the line is “too slow,” yet statistics show White scoring roughly as well as in main-line French theory.
- The variation can transpose to a Caro-Kann (with …c6) or even a Philidor Defense depending on Black’s setup.
- Chigorin employed the move order to avoid Steinitz’s pet French lines in their 1889 World-Championship match.
French Defense: 2…c5 (Franco-Sicilian Variation)
Definition
After 1.e4 e6 2.d4 c5, Black turns the French into a Sicilian-type struggle one move later than usual. The pawn on c5 immediately challenges d4 and aims for an open, tactical game instead of the typical closed French structures.
Typical Move Order
The main line continues 3.Nf3 cxd4 4.Nxd4 Nc6, reaching a Scheveningen-like setup with the added flexibility of …d7-d6 or …d7-d5 coming later. Alternate plans include 3.d5 (grabbing space) or 3.Nc3 (inviting transpositions to a Tarrasch Sicilian).
- e4 e6
- d4 c5
- Nf3 (or 3.d5/3.Nc3) …cxd4
- Nxd4 Nc6 – a “French-Sicilian hybrid” position.
Strategic Ideas
- Immediate counter-punch: Black refuses to block the center with …d5 and instead strikes at d4, often getting open lines for the queenside pieces.
- Scheveningen-structure: After …d6, …a6, and …Qc7, positions are reminiscent of the Najdorf/Scheveningen without having committed a knight to f6 yet.
- Isolated-queen’s-pawn (IQP): If White plays c2-c3 and recaptures with the pawn on d4, an IQP position may arise, giving dynamic chances to both sides.
Historical Significance
Although introduced in the late 19th century, the line was popularized in the 1980s by French grandmasters such as Christian Bauer and Jean-Luc Chabanon, who sought sharper play than the traditional Winawer or Classical systems allowed.
Notable Games
- Short vs Jussupow, Manila 1992 (Olympiad) – Nigel Short’s creative use of an early d4-d5 clamp eventually netted him a kingside attack.
- Kamsky vs Meier, Dortmund 2013 – a model game for Black in which the IQP was neutralised and the bishops on c5 and b7 dominated the board.
Interesting Facts
- The ECO code for 2…c5 lines is usually B40-B41, the same as many independent Sicilian variations.
- Because Black has already played …e6, the usual Sicilian break …e5 is faster to achieve, whereas …d5 may come one tempo later.
- If White prefers quieter waters, the sideline 3.c3 draws the game into a reversed Alapin Sicilian.