About this opening
French Defense: Exchange Variation is an opening in the Encyclopedia of Chess Openings,
classified under code C01. ECO group C (C00–C99)
covers open games (1.e4 e5) and the French Defence, including the Ruy Lopez, Italian, Scotch and King's Gambit. This particular variation is reached
after 5 half-moves from the
starting position, with the move sequence 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. exd5.
It belongs to the French Defense family. Within that family this is a sub-variation (the Exchange Variation line).
The opening sequence in prose form: 1.e4 e6, 2.d4 d5, 3.exd5. From this position 2 named continuations are recorded in the encyclopaedia, each leading to a distinct theoretical line.
Use the interactive board above to walk through the moves position-by-position. Click any move in the navigation to step backwards, or use the keyboard arrow keys. The list of recorded continuations sits directly below the board. For statistical data — how often master-level players have reached this position, White's win-rate, draw frequency, Black's score — see the panel in the right column.
Caissly's coverage of C01 extends through every named sub-variation in this line and across all four locales (English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian). Where editorial commentary exists for a specific variation it appears as the page body; otherwise the page presents the structural data, board, and statistics as shown here.