French Defense: Classical, Burn Variation
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Nf6 4.Bg5 dxe4
The Burn variation, named after British master Amos Burn, meets White's pinning move 4.Bg5 by giving up the central point with 4...dxe4. Black aims for free development of his pieces and a counterattack against d4. In some variations, White needs to trade the Bg5 for a knight, and Black tries to make use of this.
Pros:
- Freer, more open play
- Sometimes Black has two bishops
Cons:
- White's space advantage
- White's attacking possibilities after castling on opposite sides
Famous Practitioners: Mikhail Gurevich