French Defense: Advance Variation and Extended Bishop Swap

French Defense: Advance Variation

Definition

The Advance Variation is a major branch of the French Defense that arises after the moves 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5. By pushing the e-pawn one square further, White immediately stakes out space in the center and clamps down on Black’s natural freeing move …f6 or later …f6, while Black undertakes to undermine the pawn chain with breaks such as …c5 and …f6.

Typical Move Order

The most common continuations after 3…c5 are:

• 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 (the classical line)
• 4. Nf3 Nc6 5. Be2 (the Milner-Barry setup)
• 4. dxc5 Bxc5 (the short-lived pawn-grab line; risky for White)

Strategic Themes

• Pawn Chain Logic: White’s chain e5–d4 points toward the kingside; Black’s play is therefore aimed at the base of the chain (d4) with …c5 and at its head (e5) with …f6.
• Space vs. Flexibility: White enjoys more space and can often launch a kingside attack with moves such as Bd3, Qg4, h4–h5. Black, in return, has the healthier pawn structure and long-term targets.
• Bad French Bishop? In the Advance, Black’s light-squared bishop on c8 is notoriously cramped. Plans involving …b6 and …Ba6, or an early …Bd7–e8–g6 maneuver, aim to solve this problem.

Historical Significance

Although the French Defense dates back to the 19th century, the Advance Variation gained major theoretical relevance after Aron Nimzowitsch championed it in the 1920s, showcasing the virtues of space advantage. A modern renaissance occurred in the 1990s and 2000s, thanks to players like Alexei Shirov and Alexander Morozevich, who explored razor-sharp attacking ideas for White.

Illustrative Game

An archetypal attacking win is Shirov – Bareev, Linares 1994.

Interesting Facts

• The line 3. e5 was once called the Nimzowitsch Attack in older texts.
• In computer chess, engines initially disliked 3. e5 for its static center, but neural-network engines such as AlphaZero and LeelaZero showed new dynamic resources for White.
• World Champions Mikhail Tal and Magnus Carlsen have both tried the Advance Variation when they wanted an unbalanced, attacking fight.

Extended Bishop Swap

Definition

The term Extended Bishop Swap refers to a multi-move maneuver in which a player engineers the exchange of bishops—usually light-squared bishops—in spite of an initial long distance between them. The swap is “extended” because it is not an immediate capture but a carefully prepared plan involving piece re-routing, pawn breaks, or diagonal opening so that one bishop can eventually take—or be taken by—its counterpart.

How It Is Used

• Strategic Simplification: A side with a space advantage may want to relieve pressure by exchanging bishops even when they start on opposite sides of the board (e.g., White’s c1-bishop for Black’s g7-bishop in the King’s Indian).
• Color-Complex Struggle: In positions where control of one color complex is critical (think Nimzo-Indian or French Defense), forcing an Extended Bishop Swap can give a permanent grip over the remaining color squares.
• Endgame Transition: Players may provoke the swap to enter a favorable minor-piece endgame—trading the “bad” bishop for the opponent’s “good” bishop.

Canonical Examples

1. French Defense, Exchange Scenario After 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nc3 Bb4 4. e5 c5 5. a3 Bxc3+ 6. bxc3, Black often later plays …b6 and …Ba6 to force c1×g7 bishop exchange. The distance is long, but once the a3–f8 diagonal opens, the bishops are traded—an Extended Bishop Swap that frees Black’s game.

2. King’s Indian, Mar del Plata White maneuvers Be3–g5–xf6 to eliminate Black’s powerful g7-bishop, while Black often counters with …h6, …Nh5, and …Bf6 to provoke Bxf6. The entire sequence may take 6–8 moves to complete but transforms the character of the position.

3. Capablanca vs. Alekhine, New York 1927 In one of their World-Championship games, Capablanca arranged Bc1–g5–xf6 only after preparing f4–f5 to open the diagonal. The swap removed Alekhine’s best defender of the dark squares, proving decisive in the endgame.

Practical Tips

• Ask whether the swap helps the opponent: if you trade a bad bishop for a good one, make sure accompanying imbalances favor you (pawn structure, knights, etc.).
• Time the maneuver with pawn breaks; opening a diagonal at the wrong moment may hand your opponent counterplay.
• Keep other pieces flexible; sometimes the mere threat of an Extended Bishop Swap ties down enemy pieces, achieving the goal without the actual exchange.

Interesting Anecdotes

• GM John Nunn once joked that an Extended Bishop Swap is “chess’s version of a long-distance relationship—many letters (moves) before the actual meeting!”
• In correspondence chess, players have been known to plan bishop trades 15–20 moves in advance, leveraging databases to prove a small but lasting edge.