Steiner Variation (French Defense)
Steiner Variation (French Defense)
Definition
The Steiner Variation is an uncommon but ambitious branch of the French Defense that arises
after the moves:
1. e4 e6 2. d4 Nf6
Instead of the automatic 2…d5, Black strikes at the e4-pawn with the king’s knight. This move order carries the spirit of the Alekhine Defense (1…Nf6) into French-Defense territory and immediately asks White how he intends to maintain the center.
Key Ideas & Strategic Themes
- Provocation. 2…Nf6 invites White to advance with 3.e5, creating an early pawn wedge. Black aims to undermine that pawn later with …d6 or …c5, gaining counter-play against the over-extended center.
- Flexible Transpositions. If White declines the advance (for example, 3.Nc3 or 3.Bd3), Black can transpose to mainstream French positions (Classical, Rubinstein, or Fort Knox setups) but with the useful inclusion of …Nf6 already on the board.
- Piece Activity. Because the light-squared bishop is often developed outside the pawn chain (…Bb4+ or …b6 and …Bb7), Black’s pieces may become more active than in many French structures where the c8-bishop is cramped.
- Risk vs. Reward. Black temporarily sidesteps the thematic …d5 break and can therefore fall behind in space. White, on the other hand, must be ready to justify an early e4-e5 with energetic development or run the risk of having the central pawn blockaded and attacked.
Typical Continuations
-
The Advance Main Line
3.e5 Nd5 4.c4 Nb6 5.Nc3 d6 6.Nf3 Be7 7.Bd3 Nc6
Black pressures d4 with …dxe5 or …Nb4, while White hopes to use the space advantage on the kingside. -
Classical Transposition
3.Nc3 d5 4.e5 Nfd7 leads to familiar French positions, except that the minor pieces are developed in a slightly different order. -
Quiet Lines
3.Bd3 d5 4.e5 Nfd7 5.c3 c5 gives Black rapid counter-play against the d4-pawn.
Historical Notes
The line is named after Herman Steiner (1905 – 1955), U.S. Champion in 1948 and a flamboyant attacking player who settled in Los Angeles. Some sources attribute the name to the Hungarian master Endre Steiner; in either case it was popularized in the 1930s–40s when both Steiners employed the move order in serious play.
Notable Game
The diagram above follows the 1945 U.S. Championship encounter Herman Steiner – Samuel Reshevsky, where Steiner (White) pressed on the kingside but Reshevsky ultimately exploited the weak e5-pawn and centralized pieces for a narrow win.
Practical Tips
- For Black: Be patient after 3.e5. Retreating the knight is temporary; concentrate on timely breaks with …c5 and …f6, plus piece pressure along the light squares.
- For White: If you push e5, follow up quickly with c4 and Nc3 to clamp down on d5. Otherwise, calmly defend e4 (Nc3 or Bd3) and transpose into a comfortable French with extra development.
- Move-order subtleties matter: 3.Nc3 can be met by 3…Bb4, entering a nimble Winawer-style position that some French players relish.
Interesting Facts
- Because the opening can transpose to the Alekhine Defense after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 Nf6 3.e5 Nd5, several hybrid names—“French Alekhine” or “Alekhine-Steiner”—occasionally appear in literature.
- The Steiner Variation was a favorite surprise weapon of legendary theoretician Isaac Lipnitsky, who used it to defeat stronger opponents in Soviet team events during the 1950s.
- Although rarely seen in elite play today, the line still pops up in faster time controls. For instance, Alexander Morozevich essayed it successfully in the 2018 Russian Blitz Championship.
Related Terms
See also: French Defense, Alekhine Defense, Advance Variation.