French Defense-Advance (Advance French)

French Defense – Advance

The Advance Variation of the French Defense appears after the moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5. By pushing the e-pawn one square farther, White grabs space in the center and immediately defines the pawn structure, while Black accepts a slightly cramped position in return for long-term counterplay.

Definition

The term French Defense – Advance (often abbreviated simply as the “Advance French”) denotes any line that reaches the position after:

1. e4 e6
2. d4 d5
3. e5

In ECO (Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings) codes, the variation is catalogued mainly in the B12–B14 range.

Typical Move Orders & Key Branches

While the structure is defined on move three, several setups are common:

• Classical counterattack: 3…c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6, putting immediate pressure on d4.
• Steinitz (…Bd7): 3…c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Bd7 intending …Qb6 without hanging b7.
• Milner-Barry Gambit: 3…c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3!? cxd4 7.0-0, where White sacrifices a pawn for rapid development.
• Short Variation: 3…c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.a3, made popular by GM Nigel Short in the 1990s.
• Rubinstein setup: 3…c5 4.c3 cxd4 5.cxd4 Ne7, delaying …Nc6 in favour of rapid kingside development.

Strategic Themes & Plans

Pawn Structure

The locked center (white pawns on e5 & d4 vs. black pawn on d5) leads to a clear orientation of play:

• White: Space on the kingside; potential break with c4 or f4–f5; maneuver pieces behind the pawn chain (Nf3–g1–e2–f4, Bc1–e3–d4, etc.).
• Black: Counterplay on the queenside; break the base of the chain with …c5 and/or …f6; create pressure on d4 and b2 via …Qb6.

Typical Plans for White

• Cramp Black’s position and restrict the light-squared bishop on c8.
• Pawn storms with g4, h4–h5 when castled short, or even castle long and push g- and h-pawns.
• Prepare the thematic break f2-f4-f5, often supported by Be3/Qd2/Rf1.

Typical Plans for Black

• Exchange the isolated a-pawn chain base with …cxd4 followed by …Qb6 to hit both d4 & b2.
• Undermine e5 with …f6; if White captures, …gxf6 opens the g-file and black bishops.
• Create minority attacks on the queenside (…b6, …a5, …Ba6, sometimes …c4 to fix d4).

Historical Perspective

The Advance French gained early prominence thanks to Aaron Nimzowitsch, who championed the spatial squeeze concept in the 1920s. Later, World Champions Mikhail Botvinnik and Tigran Petrosian used it as a positional weapon. In modern times, Magnus Carlsen, Fabiano Caruana, and Alexander Grischuk have employed the variation with success, proving its perennial relevance.

Notably, the variation served as the battleground of the first computer victory over a reigning World Champion in a “classical” game: Kasparov vs. Deep Blue, Game 1, 1996, where Kasparov played the Advance as White and prevailed.

Illustrative Mini-Game

The following short encounter captures many motifs (space for White, …c5 pressure for Black):

Interesting Facts & Anecdotes

• Nimzowitsch’s “French Torture”: In his book My System, Nimzowitsch bragged that playing the Advance French against him was “like being slowly strangled.”
• Kasparov’s Surprise, 1996: Against Deep Blue, Kasparov used 3.e5 to avoid the computer’s theoretical preparation. The human’s success prompted IBM’s team to beef up the machine for the rematch.
• Universal Appeal: The variation is popular from scholastic level (for its simple strategic map) up to elite GM play (for its deep resources).
• Psychological Weapon: Because the pawn structure locks the center early, both sides must commit to long-term plans. Many players deploy the Advance to lure opponents away from heavy theory into pure strategy.