Chessy
How to Play the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation d6 as White
After 1.e4 e6 2.f4 d6 3.Nc3, you've entered the La Bourdonnais Variation of the French Defense — a sharp, old-school line where White grabs space with f4 and challenges Black to find a plan. The engine gives +0.40, a small edge for your side, so you can be confident you're already slightly better. But how do you convert that edge? From 54,745 online games, White scores a solid 53.1% here, with only 3.3% draws — meaning games are sharp and decisive. The interactive drill below will train you to handle Black's replies and punish their mistakes.
Play the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation: d6 against the engine
Free, no signup — you play white, the engine adapts to your level.
Set up the position and play the La Bourdonnais d6 variation against our adaptive engine — it will show you exactly how to punish Black's inaccuracies and build
Create a free account →What You're Fighting For: Space and the Centre
With 1.e4 followed by 2.f4, you've claimed two central squares and declared that you're playing openly. The d6 move from Black is a restrained French setup — they're not fighting for e5 yet, and they're not contesting your centre immediately. Your job is to develop naturally, keep your pawn duo intact, and watch for Black's most common plans. The engine's top recommendation for Black is actually 3...c5 — hitting your centre from the queenside — which would lead to a normal French-type struggle after 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5. But in practice, Black doesn't always find that. Many of the most-played replies (Be7, a6, c6, Ne7, Nf6, Nd7) are more passive and let you keep your space advantage.
The Engine's Reference Line: When Black Plays Best
If Black finds the top engine move 3...c5, the balanced path continues: 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5. That's the line the computer trusts to maintain your +0.40 edge. Notice the ideas: Nf3 develops and supports the centre, and Bb5 pins the knight on c6, putting pressure on Black's queenside. You don't need to memorise any deep theory — just recognise that when Black plays c5, you can reply Nf3 and Bb5 naturally. Most of your opponents won't play this way, though, so your practical chances are even better than the engine evaluation suggests.
Exploit Black's Most Common Mistakes
The statistics reveal a clear opportunity. Black's most popular move is 3...Be7 (6,735 games), but your winning percentage shoots up against other replies. Look at these White scores: - 3...c6: White wins 55.1% — the highest scorer. Black blocks their own knight, and you can continue with Nf3 and d4, building a massive centre. - 3...a6: White wins 52.9% — a waiting move that doesn't improve Black's position. - 3...Nd7: White wins 52.1%, and 3...Nf6 gives 52.0%. - 3...Ne7: Only 52.0% for White — and the engine flags this as a concrete mistake. Ne7 is an inaccuracy that loses roughly half a pawn. Why? The knight goes to a passive square, blocks the bishop on f8, and does nothing to challenge your centre. When you see 3...Ne7, you should feel especially confident: you've already gained a small advantage.
What the Numbers Tell You About Your Next Move
You don't have a single 'best' White move to memorise at this point — your response depends on what Black plays. But the stats show you several patterns: after 3...c6 you score 55.1%, after 3...a6 you score 52.9%, and even the most common 3...Be7 still gives you a 51.8% win rate. In every line, you're the one playing for an advantage. Your plan is consistent: develop your kingside (Nf3), prepare d4 to reinforce the centre, castle quickly, and watch for Black's slow development. This is a variation where patient, principled chess rewards you with a strong score. The drill below will let you practice those exact positions against an adaptive opponent.
Results across 54,745 Lichess games
| Most-played continuation | Games | White wins |
|---|---|---|
| Be7 | 6,735 | 51.8% |
| a6 | 6,157 | 52.9% |
| c6 | 6,084 | 55.1% |
| Ne7 | 4,499 | 52.0% |
| Nf6 | 4,427 | 52.0% |
| Nd7 | 4,039 | 52.1% |
Frequently asked questions
Is the French Defense: La Bourdonnais Variation d6 good for White?
Yes, it's slightly better for White. The engine gives +0.40, and across nearly 55,000 games White wins 53.1% of the time. The f4 push gives you extra space and leads to sharp, decisive games with very few draws (just 3.3%).
What is Black's best move after 1.e4 e6 2.f4 d6 3.Nc3?
The engine's top move is 3...c5, leading to 4.Nf3 Nc6 5.Bb5. That's the most principled reply, hitting your centre. But in practice Black often plays more passive moves like Be7 or a6, which give you even higher winning chances.
Is 3...Ne7 a mistake for Black?
Yes, the engine labels 3...Ne7 an inaccuracy that loses roughly half a pawn. The knight goes to a passive square and blocks the bishop. Against it, White scores 52.0% — and your position is even better than that number suggests because of the engine's evaluation.
How should White develop after 3.Nc3 in this variation?
Develop naturally: Nf3 to support the centre, prepare d4 to push further, and castle quickly. Against the common 3...c6 (White scores 55.1%), building a big pawn centre with d4 is especially effective. Against 3...c5, the engine recommends Nf3 and Bb5.