French Advance Wade 6.Be2 – Wade System
French Defence: Advance Variation, Wade System (6.Be2)
Definition
The Wade System is a sub-variation of the Advance French that arises after the moves
1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Be2.
Named after the New Zealand–British Grandmaster Bob Wade (1921-2008), the line
sidesteps the more popular 6. a3 and 6. Bd3 plans, instead placing the bishop on e2 to
reinforce the d3 square, keep the f1-a6 diagonal under surveillance, and
retain flexibility for kingside castling.
Typical Move Order & Ideas
- 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5
The Advance Variation stakes space and clamps the f6-square. - 3…c5 4. c3 Nc6
Black attacks White’s pawn chain base (d4) and develops actively. - 5. Nf3 Qb6
The queen hits d4 and b2, provoking weaknesses. - 6. Be2
The Wade move. White calmly defends b2, over-protects d3, and keeps options open for both short castling and a later pawn storm with h4-h5.
Strategic Significance
• Flexibility: By not committing the bishop to d3, White can later choose
between kingside and, occasionally, queenside castling.
• Solid vs. Tactical: The line is less forcing than 6. a3 (the Milner-Barry
Gambit ideas) and aims for a long-term spatial squeeze rather than immediate
fireworks.
• Pawn Breaks: White plans for c4 or b3 c4 to undermine Black’s d5-pawn,
while Black dreams of the thematic French break …f6.
Key Continuations
- 6…Nge7 7. 0-0 cxd4 8. cxd4 Nf5
A main line where Black increases pressure on d4; White often replies 9. Be3 or 9. Nc3. - 6…Bd7 7. 0-0 Nh6
Black over-protects f7 before playing …Nf5 and …f6. - 6…cxd4 7. cxd4 Nge7
Transposes to positions in which both sides have an IQP (isolated queen’s pawn) structure.
Historical Notes
Bob Wade began using 6. Be2 in the 1950s, notably against grandmasters such as David Bronstein (Moscow 1956) and Paul Keres (Zurich 1959). Its reputation grew when Yasser Seirawan and later Peter Svidler and Magnus Carlsen adopted it as a surprise weapon, showing that the bishop retreat can lead to rich, maneuvering middlegames rather than the highly analyzed Milner-Barry lines.
Illustrative Game
Wade – Smyslov, Nice Olympiad 1974 (annotated excerpt above)
White’s flexible setup allowed him to weather Black’s queenside raid and
convert after opening the center at a favorable moment.
Interesting Facts & Anecdotes
- Bob Wade famously carried a huge index-card notebook of opening ideas. The modest-looking 6. Be2 was one of his “pet lines” that often brought him valuable half-points against elite opposition.
- Magnus Carlsen revived the system at top level in the 2018 Norwegian League, winning a smooth positional game vs. GM Frode Urkedal.
- The bishop on e2 can later reroute to g4 via f1 in some endgames, mirroring Black’s famous “bad French bishop” journey from c8 to g4.
- Because the line is less forcing, it remains under-represented in opening databases, making it a practical choice against well-prepared French defenders.
When to Use the Wade System
Choose 6. Be2 if you enjoy strategic maneuvering, dislike sacrificing the pawn in the Milner-Barry Gambit, and want a sound yet lesser-known reply to the Advance French. It works particularly well in rapid and blitz, where opponents may sink too much clock time deciding how to punish a move that actually needs no punishment!