The Main Line, 3...Nf6 4.e5 is a variation of the French, Tarrasch Variation, catalogued as ECO C05. The line runs 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5, reaching the position shown below after 10 half-moves.
Both sides have pawns in the centre (White on d4 and e5, Black on d5), and one pawn capture is available, so the structure has not settled yet. Development is level at two minor pieces each. It is White to move after five moves.
On the French, Tarrasch Variation generally: White plays 3.Nd2 instead of 3.Nc3, keeping the c-pawn free to advance. A flexible, positional approach to the French Defense.
You can play through this variation move by move in your browser — Learn mode walks the line with an explanation at each step, and Drill mode replays it from memory so you find out whether you actually know it. No account is required.
See all 6 French, Tarrasch Variation variations →
The Main Line, 3...Nf6 4.e5 goes 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5. It is a variation of the French, Tarrasch Variation and is catalogued as ECO C05.
The Main Line, 3...Nf6 4.e5 is ECO C05. ECO codes group openings by their move order, so nearby codes cover closely related lines of the French, Tarrasch Variation.
Stockfish evaluates the position after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 Nf6 4. e5 Nfd7 5. Bd3 c5 at +0.47 at depth 18, which is a slight pull for White, within normal opening margins. Engine evaluation is only a starting point — at club level the practical value of a line is mostly about whether you know its plans better than your opponent does.
Both sides have pawns in the centre (White on d4 and e5, Black on d5), and one pawn capture is available, so the structure has not settled yet. Development is level at two minor pieces each. It is White to move.