"Winawer light!"

5/11/2026 – The main line of the French Winawer Variation (1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.Nc3 Bb4 4.e5) usually leads to very deep theoretical lines and complex positions with which Black is generally well acquainted. In the latest issue of ChessBase Magazine #231, Petra Papp presents the alternative 4.Nge2. After 4.e5 and the Delayed Exchange Variation 4.exd5, this continuation is already the third most common (over 9,000 games in the Mega Database 2026), so it is by no means a secret weapon anymore. In this week’s CBM preview, you can explore Petra Papp’s repertoire recommendation with all the analyses – discover “many wonderful, tricky variations” after 4.Nge2!