- The moves1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4
- OpeningFrench Defense
- Chosen byBlack
- ECOC15–C19
- Also calledthe Winawer
The Winawer Variation comes after 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4. The bishop pins the knight that protects e4, and White has to resolve the tension in the center. Most often White pushes past with 4.e5, and after 4…c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 White has doubled pawns on the c-file, but also the bishop pair and a strong center.
The variation is named after the Polish master Szymon Winawer, who for fifteen years after his first international tournament in 1867 was one of the best players in the world. Aron Nimzowitsch and Mikhail Botvinnik developed it, and largely thanks to Botvinnik it became Black's most common answer to 3.Nc3 in the 1940s. From the 1980s 3…Nf6 came back, and that move has since overtaken 3…Bb4 in popularity.
White has space on the kingside, where Black is weaker than usual after trading off the dark-squared bishop, and together with the bishop pair that gives White attacking chances. In the long run the pawn structure favors Black. Judit Polgár is among the experts on the sharp 7.Qg4, and Garry Kasparov has played it too.
The main line, move by move
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 Qc7 8. Qxg7 Rg8 9. Qxh7 cxd4 10. Ne2 Nbc6 11. f4
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- 11.…
The plans
White wants to
- Attack on the kingside, where Black lacks the dark-squared bishop: Qg4, or h4–h5.
- Open lines for the bishop pair, ideally with a4 and Ba3.
- Hold the center together with a knight on f3 or e2 and sometimes f4.
Black wants to
- Put pressure on the doubled pawns with …Qa5, …Bd7–a4 and …Nbc6.
- Close the queenside with …c4 and then open the kingside with …f6.
- Sometimes castle queenside, away from White's attack.
The pawn structure
White has doubled pawns on c2 and c3 and a pawn chain, d4 and e5, pointing at Black's kingside. Black's chain, e6 and d5, points at the queenside, and the pawn on c5 presses on d4, the base of White's chain.
Black has traded off the dark-squared bishop, so the dark squares around Black's king are weak. White's c-pawns, on the other hand, are weak in the long run, and in an endgame the structure is often better for Black.
Important lines
7.Qg4 O-O: the king on the attacked wing
Black can also protect g7 by castling. Then Black keeps the pawns, but the king stands on the wing where White wants to attack. A newer option is 7…Kf8, where the king hides behind the locked center.
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 O-O 8. Bd3 Nbc6
7.Nf3: the positional road
Anyone who doesn't want the complications can play 7.Nf3, develop calmly with the bishop to d3 or e2 and castle kingside. Black often closes the queenside with …c4 and castles queenside. Another quiet option is 7.a4, which prepares Ba3. World champions Vasily Smyslov and Bobby Fischer both played it.
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Nf3 Bd7 8. Bd3 c4 9. Be2 Ba4 10. O-O Qa5
5…Ba5: the Armenian Variation
Black doesn't have to take on c3. With 5…Ba5 Black keeps the pin, and after 6.b4 cxb4 things get sharp. The line is sometimes called the Armenian Variation, because players from Armenia, above all Rafael Vaganian, developed it. After 7.Nb5 bxa3+ 8.c3 Bc7 9.Bxa3, theory gives White the upper hand.
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Ba5 6. b4 cxb4 7. Nb5 bxa3+ 8. c3 Bc7 9. Bxa3
How it goes in real games
How the games ended once they had reached the positions, in blitz, rapid and classical games. White wins, draws and Black wins, as a percentage of the games. A position counts however the game got there.
| Position | Level | Games | White wins | Draw | Black wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winawer Variation 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 | Club players | 5,155,476 | 49% | 5% | 46% |
| Strong players | 2,782,428 | 49% | 6% | 45% | |
| Winawer Variation, main line 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3 Ne7 7. Qg4 | Club players | 323,581 | 45% | 5% | 49% |
| Strong players | 261,024 | 45% | 6% | 49% |
The most common moves after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4
Share of the games in the position, for club players and strong players. A dash means the move isn't among the most common in that group.
| Move | Club players | Strong players |
|---|---|---|
| 4.e5 | 53% (2,751,768) | 60% (1,682,097) |
| 4.exd5 | 17% (852,097) | 14% (389,906) |
| 4.Bd3 | 8% (422,008) | 5% (149,984) |
| 4.Ne2 | 6% (296,126) | 8% (210,067) |
| 4.a3 | 6% (288,582) | 5% (143,803) |
| 4.Bd2 | 5% (256,761) | 3% (82,083) |
| 4.Qg4 | 3% (131,422) | 3% (70,586) |
Source: games on Lichess, fetched November 6, 2026 and November 7, 2026. Club players means games where the players average 1600 or more, strong players games where they average 2000 or more. Positions that aren't in our numbers aren't shown.
Explore the position on the analysis board: the moves club players choose from here, how the games tend to end, and what Lavi thinks of each move.
The main line with all the comments as text
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 The Winawer Variation. The knight is pinned, and the pawn on e4 is in effect unprotected. 4. e5 White pushes past and takes space. Now the bishop on b4 has to show what it is doing there. 4… c5 Black attacks the base of the chain, the pawn on d4. 5. a3 White asks the bishop what it wants. 5… Bxc3+ Black gives up the bishop pair to ruin White's pawn structure. 6. bxc3 Doubled pawns on the c-file, but they strengthen the center and open the b-file. 6… Ne7 Black's most common move. The knight goes to e7 because the pawn on e5 takes away the f6 square. 7. Qg4 The queen attacks g7, which no longer has the bishop's protection. 7… Qc7 Black gives up two kingside pawns to smash White's center. 8. Qxg7 White takes the first pawn. 8… Rg8 The rook chases the queen and stands well on the half-open g-file. 9. Qxh7 The second pawn. White's h-pawn is now a passed pawn. 9… cxd4 Black strikes at the center. The pawn on c3 is hanging, and White's king has no safe home. 10. Ne2 The knight protects c3 and d4. 10… Nbc6 One more piece against e5 and d4. 11. f4 The pawn supports e5. White is a pawn up with a dangerous h-pawn, Black has the development and play against White's king. White has a small edge, but the position is extremely sharp.
Read more
French Defense
1…e6 and 2…d5. Black builds a wall and attacks White's pawn chain at the base.
Nimzo-Indian Defense
3…Bb4: pin the knight, stop e4, and be ready to trade the bishop for doubled pawns.
Every move on this page has been checked against the rules of chess.
Updated November 14, 2026
3… Bb4
The Winawer Variation. The knight is pinned, and the pawn on e4 is in effect unprotected.