[Event "French Defence - Classical Variation - Introduction: Classical Variation - Steinitz Variation - 4.e5"] [Site "https://lichess.org/study/WDCCWFLz/tZ2TNvCa"] [Result "*"] [Variant "Standard"] [ECO "C11"] [Opening "French Defense: Classical Variation, Steinitz Variation"] [Annotator "https://lichess.org/@/chessentialsBLOG"] [UTCDate "2023.02.09"] [UTCTime "11:39:35"] [Source "https://lichess.org/study/WDCCWFLz/tZ2TNvCa"] [Orientation "white"] 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. e5 { Finally, let's get to the main move in the position. This advance of the e-pawn with the gain of tempo is quite natural and leads to the so-called Steinitz Variation (I think because Steinitz employed it in the game Steinitz - Sellman, Baltimore, 1885). White closes down the center with the gain of time and now we have a very standard French structure on the board with long pawn chains (from c2-e5 and f7-d5), which is very characteristic of the entire opening. } 4... Nfd7 { This "backward" move is actually the most natural and best. The knight retreats to a square where it helps prepare the liberating c5 push - but also the f6 push in the future. It is true that this involves a loss of time, but Black makes an argument that the White knight on c3 is also not ideally placed as it makes it difficult for White to push the c2 pawn and keep the integrity of the pawn chain. } { [%cal Gc2c3] } (4... Ne4 { Jumping to the center is sometimes played, but I don't think it is particularly good as after } 5. Nxe4 dxe4 6. Bc4 { The e4 pawn is weak and White will often have some d5 ideas in the air. } { [%csl Re4][%cal Gd4d5] }) 5. f4 { This is by far the most common move in this position. White realizes that Black will try to undermine the center with the c5 pawn push and therefore decides to fortify the e5 pawn before developing the pieces. It is true that White is moving pawns and not pieces, but since the center is closed the argument is that the element of time is not that important. } { [%csl Ge5][%cal Gf4e5,Gd4e5] } (5. Nce2 { Retreating the knight to e2 is also a move here. The idea is to free the c-pawn from advancing and meet c5 with the c3 pawn. The drawback is, obviously, that this costs some time. } { [%cal Gc2c3] } 5... c5 6. c3 { White wants to continue with f4 or Nf3, etc. An interesting sideline worth exploring further. } { [%cal Gf2f4,Gg1f3] }) (5. Nf3 { Some people also play this move, not intending to keep the center with the pawns, but with the pieces instead. After } 5... c5 6. dxc5 { White gives up the nice pawn chain but claims that the piece activity more than compensates for that. Not the most popular variation for White, but definitely one worth exploring further. } { [%csl Gf3,Ge5][%cal Gc1f4] }) 5... c5 { The starting point of the Steinitz variation. We can see that the structure is fixed and that the battle will revolve around White trying to keep the integrity of the center and Black trying to put it under the pressure with the typical moves such as c5, Nc6, Qb6 - also f6 at some point, etc. This is a very theoretical and common variation with thousands of games played - and it arguably constitutes the absolute mainline of the entire Classical Variation. } { [%cal Rc5d4] } *