The Winawer, Rewired: Rapport's 6...Nc6!? and the King Who Went Queenside
In the main line of the Winawer, after 4.e5 c5 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3, Black most often reaches for the established 6...Ne7.
GM Richard Rapport has repeatedly chosen a different path: 6...Nc6!?. Black prepares to develop the queenside pieces first and castle there, away from the kingside where White's attack usually arrives.
In The French Winawer: A Dynamic Repertoire for Black, GM Harshit Raja builds a complete answer to 3.Nc3 Bb4 around this rarely explored idea.
A Different Kind of Winawer
After 3...Bb4, Black pins the knight and pressures White's center. After the exchange on c3, White's doubled c-pawns support that center, and the bishop pair offers kingside attacking chances, while Black targets those doubled pawns and keeps up the pressure on d4.
The 6...Nc6 approach changes where Black's king belongs. After 7.Qg4 g6 8.h4 Bd7 9.h5 Qa5 10.Bd2 0-0-0, the king is on the queenside, and White's usual kingside pressure loses much of its force.
The Author's Reasoning
GM Harshit Raja sees the heart of the Winawer in the tension between White's attacking prospects and Black's long-term counterplay. His repertoire gives Black that counterplay without walking into the most heavily analyzed main lines.
The rare 4.Nge2, the Exchange Variation with 4.exd5, and 4.e5 c5 5.Bd2 each receive dedicated chapters. After 6...Nc6, the author examines every serious setup, from 7.Nf3 and 7.h4 to the main 7.Qg4, concluding with 11.a4, which stops ...Qa4.
Map of Variations
1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4
- 4.Nge2 and other rare options → Chapter 1
- 4.exd5 → Chapter 2
- 4.e5 c5
- 5.Bd2 and other alternatives → Chapter 3
- 5.a3 Bxc3+ 6.bxc3 Nc6!?
- 7.a4 and other rare options → Chapter 4
- 7.h4 → Chapter 5
- 7.Nf3 → Chapter 6
- 7.Qg4 g6
- 8.Nf3 and other sidelines → Chapter 7
- 8.a4 → Chapter 8
- 8.h4 Bd7 9.h5 Qa5 10.Bd2 0-0-0
- 11.Nf3 and other rare tries → Chapter 9
- 11.a4 → Chapter 10
Course Features
- 10 chapters
- 20 test positions
- Memory Booster
- To Go version of every chapter
- Video instruction
- Multilingual PGN availability (English, German, French, Spanish)
Two Answers to 3.Nc3
GM Harshit Raja has also created The French Steinitz: A Complete Repertoire for Black, which meets 3.Nc3 with 3...Nf6. The Winawer brings sharp battles in which Black's king finds safety on the queenside, while the Steinitz relies on structure and flexible expansion.
Completing the French Repertoire
For White's other main options, two further courses complete a French repertoire for Black.
Against 3.e5, French Defense for Black - Complete Solution against the Advance Variation - Part 3 covers the Advance Variation.
Against 3.Nd2 and 3.exd5, French Defense for Black - Tarrasch and Exchange - Part 4 covers the Tarrasch and the Exchange Variation.
Start Playing the Winawer
If you want a dynamic answer to 3.Nc3 built on a fresh, practically tested idea, The French Winawer: A Dynamic Repertoire for Black gives you clear plans in every variation.
Explore the course and bring Rapport's approach into your own games.