French Defense Advance: Advance Variation
French Defense Advance Variation
Definition
The Advance Variation of the French Defense arises after the moves
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5
White immediately protects the e-pawn by advancing it to e5, grabbing space in the center and restricting Black’s light-squared bishop on c8. It is catalogued in the Encyclopaedia of Chess Openings under the codes C02–C05.
Move-Order Essentials
- 1. e4 e6 – The French Defense.
- 2. d4 d5 – Black challenges the pawn on e4; the center is fixed.
- 3. e5 – The signature Advance move. Other third-move choices for White are 3.Nc3 (Tarrasch), 3.Nd2 (Rubinstein), or 3.exd5 (Exchange).
Strategic Themes
The Advance Variation produces a characteristic pawn chain: White pawns on e5-d4-c3 versus Black pawns on d5-e6-c5 (after the typical …c7-c5 break).
- Space vs. Counterplay
- White enjoys extra space on the kingside and can build up for f2–f4, g2–g4, and a mating attack.
- Black gains dynamic chances by striking the base of the pawn chain with …c5 and/or …f6.
- Light-Squared Bishop
- White’s e5 pawn cramps Black’s bishop on c8, often forcing it to develop via d7–e8–g6 or even b7.
- Pawn Breaks
- Black: …c5, …f6, …Qb6, …Nc6, and sometimes …g5 in sharp lines.
- White: c2–c3–c4 or f2–f4–f5 to open lines toward the Black king.
Typical Plans for White
- Place knights on f3 and d2 to support the pawn chain.
- Castle kingside, then pursue f2–f4–f5, often supported by Qg4 or Bd3.
- Undermine the d5 pawn with c2–c4 or pile up on the c-file after Black plays …c5.
- In some setups (the Milner-Barry Gambit) White sacrifices a pawn with c4 and Nc3 for rapid development.
Typical Plans for Black
- Immediate counterattack with 3…c5; follow up with …Nc6, …Qb6, and sometimes …cxd4 to pressure d4.
- Delayed break with …f6 (the old main line) aiming to undermine e5.
- Queenside expansion with …b6 and …Ba6 exchanging the bad bishop.
- Flexible king placement: Black may castle short, long, or keep the king in the center depending on the position.
Historical Significance
The Advance Variation was championed by Aron Nimzowitsch in the 1920s as a practical illustration of his blockade theories. Later, it became a staple weapon of Viktor Korchnoi, who used it in several World Championship games against Anatoly Karpov (notably Game 10, Baguio 1978). In modern practice, grandmasters such as Magnus Carlsen, Anish Giri, and Ian Nepomniachtchi have employed it to avoid the dense theory of the Winawer and Classical lines.
Famous Games & Illustrative Examples
Botvinnik – Najdorf, Moscow 1955
White demonstrated the power of a kingside pawn storm: 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.e5 c5 4.c3 Nc6 5.Nf3 Qb6 6.Bd3 Bd7 7.dxc5! Bxc5 8.O-O, achieving a lasting initiative.
Korchnoi – Karpov, World Ch. (game 10), Baguio 1978
Korchnoi used the Advance to steer play away from Karpov’s beloved solid French structures and obtained the only decisive result of the match’s first half.
You can replay a standard main line below:
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Because of the locked center, the Advance often leads to positions resembling the Caro-Kann Advance or even certain King’s Indian structures reversed.
- Nimzowitsch once quipped that 3.e5 turns Black’s light-squared bishop into “a miserable pawn,” underscoring its long-term cramp.
- In computer chess, engines initially disliked the Advance, but modern neural-network engines (e.g., Leela, Stockfish NNUE) show an almost equal evaluation, validating its strategic soundness.
- The variation provided one of Garry Kasparov’s most spectacular wins: Short – Kasparov, Madrid 1990, where Kasparov (as Black) sacrificed a rook with …Rxc3!! to rip open White’s queen-side structure.