French Classical Steinitz 7...a6
French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation (7…a6)
Definition
The line commonly catalogued as French: Classical, Steinitz, 7…a6 is a sub-variation of the French Defense (1…e6) in which Black adopts the Classical setup with …Nf6 and …Be7, meets White’s space-gaining 5.e5 advance with the Steinitz Manoeuvre …Nfd7, and finally defers queenside counterplay with the preparatory move 7…a6. In ECO it is filed under C11.
Typical Move Order
The most common sequence reaches the tabiya after seven moves:
- 1. e4 e6
- 2. d4 d5
- 3. Nc3 Nf6
- 4. Bg5 Be7 (Classical Variation)
- 5. e5 Nfd7 (Steinitz Variation)
- 6. Bxe7 Qxe7
- 7. f4 a6 (the specific branch covered here)
Strategic Ideas
- Black’s Plan
- …c5 break in the centre remains the core counterblow, but by inserting 7…a6 Black restrains the White knight from jumping to b5 after …c5 or …Nc6.
- …cxd4 or …c4 can be chosen depending on whether Black wants an IQP, hanging pawns or a closed structure.
- The queenside pawn mass (…b5, …b4) may gain space and provoke weaknesses in White’s camp.
- White’s Plan
- Grab space with 8.Nf3 and 9.Qd2 & 10.0-0-0 aiming for a kingside pawn storm with g4–g5.
- Central pressure by c2-c4 and f4-f5 can cramp Black before the queenside counterplay arrives.
- The d4-e5 pawn chain gives White more space but also provides targets if Black manages to undermine it successfully.
Historical Background
Wilhelm Steinitz, the first official World Champion, pioneered 5…Nfd7 in the late 19th century as a flexible reply to 5.e5. The specific 7…a6 refinement is more modern, gaining popularity in the 1970s–80s thanks to French experts such as Anatoly Karpov and Lev Psakhis, who valued the prophylactic nature of preventing Nb5 and preparing …c5 under optimal circumstances.
Illustrative Game
Psakhis vs. Karpov, USSR Championship, Tbilisi 1981, demonstrates many of the key ideas:
[[Pgn| e4|e6|d4|d5|Nc3|Nf6|Bg5|Be7|e5|Nfd7|Bxe7|Qxe7|f4|a6|Nf3|c5|dxc5|Nc6|Bd3|Qxc5|Qd2|b5|a3|Bb7|b4|Qb6|Ne2|g6|c3|h5|Ned4|Nxd4|cxd4|Rc8|O-O|Rc4| ]]Key Position to Remember
[[Pgn| e4|e6|d4|d5|Nc3|Nf6|Bg5|Be7|e5|Nfd7|Bxe7|Qxe7|f4|a6| |fen|rnbqk2r/1p1nqppp/p3p3/3pP3/3P1P2/2N5/PPP2P1P/R1BQKBNR b KQkq - 0 7|arrows|c7c5 a6a5|squares|c5 d4 ]]Black is ready for …c5 without fearing Nb5–d6+ forks because the a6 pawn keeps the knight in check.
Interesting Facts
- The move 7…a6 often transposes to lines usually reached via the “Burn Variation” (with …dxe4) or the “Fort Knox” (…Bd7, …Bc6), making it a useful universal weapon for French players.
- Modern engines consider 7…a6 fully sound, giving near-equal evaluations, but practical results lean slightly toward Black because many White players underestimate the queenside expansion.
- Kasparov used the Classical Steinitz (with 7…c5 instead of 7…a6) against Deep Blue in 1997, reflecting the line’s continued relevance even at the highest levels of play.
When to Choose This Line
Select 7…a6 if you enjoy:
- Solid, strategically rich positions where piece manoeuvring is more important than memorizing forcing lines.
- Flexibility—Black can decide between open and closed structures after White’s reply.
- Endgames—the French pawn structure often leads to favorable minority attacks on the queenside.