Download PGN of September ’25 French games
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Winawer with 4 Nge2 dxe4 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Nxc3 Nc6 7 Bb5 [C15]
In search of a safe system versus the Winawer, White has turned to the fourth moves 4 exd5 and 4 Nge2, which tend to limit Black’s options early on. After 4 Nge2, the line 4...dxe4 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Nxc3 Nc6 (which can also be arrived at via 4...Nc6 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Nxc3 dxe4) remains a popular choice for Black, probably because it can lead to somewhat more unbalanced play than other defenses tend to. The traditional line 7 Bb5 Nge7 8 Bg5 f6 9 Be3 has been played and analysed for many years:
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In Shukhman, A - Balavignan, A, Titled Tue July 29 2025, I give an overview of recent games and a few critical lines. Black is still holding his own.
Winawer with 4 Nge2 dxe4 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Nxc3 Nc6 7 d5 [C15]
Instead of 7 Bb5, a safe line we’ve seen in a many games over the years begins with 7 d5 exd5 8 Qxd5 Be6:
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In Kreken, E - Pironti, F, Titled Tue 29th Jul 2025, White tried 9 Qxd8+ (see the Archives for several games with 9 Qxe4) 9....Rxd8 10 Bf4, after which 10...Nf6 equalized (and 10...f5 is a good option that is seldom played).
Winawer with 4 Nge2 dxe4 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Nxc3 Nc6 7 Bf4 Nf6 8 Bb5 [C15]
Perhaps White’s best try to confuse things is a move which was hardly used for years but then became the most popular one: 7 Bf4, intending d5. The d4-pawn is immune to capture, so Black’s usual answer is 7...Nf6, when 8 Bb5 is necessary and has led to some interesting games:
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Black has a choice of defenses. In Dalaud, D - Moskalenko, V, Santa Cruz de La Palma 2025 Black played 8...Bd7!?, leading to 9 d5 Ne7 10 dxe6 fxe6 and with accurate play Black should be okay.
In Lucas, A - Guerra Arrocha, D, Santa Cruz de La Palma 2025, Black played 8...0-0, leading to 9 Bxc6 bxc6 10 Qd2:
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This has proven to be a fairly difficult position for Black after 10...Nd5, even if it’s theoretically playable. White won a nice positionally-based game.
8....Nd5 is similar but puts more immediate pressure on White. In Lamaze, S - Orieux, E, French Ch Vichy 2025, there followed 9 Bd2 Nxc3 10Bxc6+ bxc6 11 Bxc3, a position we’ve seen before:
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This is equal after both 11...Ba6 and the game’s 11...Qg5, with some interesting possibilities due to the opposite-coloured bishops. After mutual inaccuracies, White came out on top, which illustrates that both sides would do well to study this type of position before trying it out in practice.
Winawer with 4 Nge2 dxe4 5 a3 Bxc3+ 6 Nxc3 Nc6 7 Bf4 Nge7 8 Qd2 [C15]
Instead of 7...Nf6, Black can opt for 7...Nge7, which leaves more pieces on and can create more counterchances, but risks leaving White in command of the center and having attacking chances. Once again, White’s best move is held to be 8 Qd2, sacrificing the d-pawn. This time it’s not a blunder to accept, and we’ll look at both captures. In Willow, J - Sanitt, E, Mindsports Open London 2025, Black played the natural 8...Nd5:
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After 9 0-0-0, Black played too slowly with 9...Bd7? 10 Nxe4 Nxf4 11 Qxf4 Ne7 and soon walked into a devastating attack. In the notes I examine 9...Qf6!, which leaves White with only a slight edge. A move earlier, it turns out that 8...Nxd4 and 8...e5 are both playable, although somewhat better for White, and I’ve also included in them in the notes.
I previously questioned Black’s pawn grab in the line 7...Nge7 8 Qd2 Qxd4!?, but the fascinating game Juhasz, A - Abrahamyan, T, August GM Budapest 2025, grabbed my attention. After 9 Qxd4 Nxd4 10 0-0-0, Black played 10...Ndc6!:
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In an earlier game I had analysed the queenless middlegame after 11 Bxc7 Nd5 12 Nxd5 exd5 13 Rxd5 Be6 14 Rd2 Rc8 as giving White a clear advantage due to the bishop pair and Black's poorly-placed pawn on e4. Indeed, the engine agrees with this assessment. After all, endings with a bishop pair and numerous pawns on both sides of the board are generally torture for the side with the knights. But in the game, White never seems to get an opportunity to play for an advantage; you might want to try your hand at improving the play; the whole position is quite instructive.
Winawer with 4 Nge2 dxe4 5 a3 Be7 6 Nxe4 Nf6 [C15]
Finally, after 4 Nge2 dxe4 5 a3, Black can also play the safe and well-established sequence 5...Be7 6 Nxe4 Nf6:
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In Bodemar, J - Fernandes, R, Titled Tue 29th Jul 2025, White played the most popular move 7 N2g3 (I cover 7 Qd3 and 7 Nxf6+ briefly), when Black can play simply 7...0-0, but in two games Fernandez preferred 7...Nbd7 , answering both 8 Bd3 (in the game) and 8 Be3 with 8...b6, achieving a comfortable equality.
Till next month, John
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