The Insider’s Guide to Beating the French + PGN Mar 13, 2026

Quickstarter Guide (22 variations, 15.9 avg. trainable depth)

1) Rare 3rd Moves (47 variations, 14.4 avg. trainable depth)

2) Rare 4th Moves: 4…Nf6 / Be7 / Qd5 / Nc6 / b6 (35 variations, 14.3 avg. trainable depth)

3) Fort Knox Variation: 4…Bd7 (16 variations, 16.6 avg. trainable depth)

4) Rubinstein Variation: Sidelines (19 variations, 18.7 avg. trainable depth)

5) Rubinstein Variation: Mainline 7…c5 (23 variations, 17.7 avg. trainable depth)

6) Classical Variation: Rare 4th Moves (37 variations, 15.0 avg. trainable depth)

7) Classical Variation: 3…Nf6 4.Bg5 Bb4 (29 variations, 17.4 avg. trainable depth)

8) Classical Variation: 4…dxe4 5.Nxe4 Nbd7 (33 variations, 16.9 avg. trainable depth)

9) Classical Variation: 4…dxe4 5.Nxe4 Be7 (32 variations, 17.1 avg. trainable depth)

10) Classical Variation: 4…Be7 5.e5 Ng8 & 5…Ne4 (9 variations, 15.8 avg. trainable depth)

11) Classical Variation: 4…Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 without Bxg5 (17 variations, 15.7 avg. trainable depth)

12) Classical Variation: 4…Be7 5.e5 Nfd7 6.h4 Bxg5 (11 variations, 18.1 avg. trainable depth)

13) Winawer Variation: Other 4th Moves (20 variations, 14.6 avg. trainable depth)

14) Winawer Variation: 4…c5 5.Bd2 Other Than 5…Ne7 (34 variations, 16.6 avg. trainable depth)

15) Winawer Variation: 4…c5 5.Bd2 Ne7 (20 variations, 18.0 avg. trainable depth)

Model Games (8 variations)