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French Defence: Advance Variation

White pushes e5 and grabs space. Black attacks the pawn chain at its base with ...c5 and ...Qb6. Remember: attack a pawn chain at its base!

Intermediate · Other answers to 1.e4 · 15 steps. On Chess Castles, Chess Guru reads each step aloud in English, Hindi or Marathi while the moves play on the board, and you can practise any position against the engine.

Step 1

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position

French Defence: Advance Variation (C02). You play White. White pushes e5 and grabs space. Black attacks the pawn chain at its base with ...c5 and ...Qb6. Remember: attack a pawn chain at its base!

Step 2

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1.e4

White plays pawn to e4. It takes a centre square (e4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. It opens a line for the bishop on f1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 46% of 3.9 million games.

Step 3

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 1...e6

Black plays pawn to e6. It controls the centre (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 13% of 1.8 million games.

Step 4

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2.d4

White plays pawn to d4. It takes a centre square (d4). It opens a line for the bishop on c1. It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 86% of 231k games.

Step 5

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 2...d5

Black plays pawn to d5. It takes a centre square (d5). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. It attacks the pawn on e4. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 98% of 202k games.

Step 6

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3.e5

White plays pawn to e5. It takes a centre square (e5). It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 13% of 200k games.

Step 7

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 3...c5

Black plays pawn to c5. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d8. It challenges the opponent's pawns. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 26k games.

Step 8

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4.c3

White plays pawn to c3. It controls the centre (d4). It opens a line for the queen on d1. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 95% of 25k games.

Step 9

♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 4...Nc6

Black plays knight to c6. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 71% of 25k games.

Step 10

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5.Nf3

White plays knight to f3. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (d4, e5). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 96% of 18k games.

Step 11

♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 5...Qb6

Black plays queen to b6. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 44% of 18k games.

Step 12

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6.a3

White plays pawn to a3. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 62% of 11k games.

Step 13

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 6...c4

Black plays pawn to c4. It opens a line for the bishop on f8. It gains space. Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 35% of 6609 games.

Step 14

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♞︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position before the moves

Moves: 7.Nbd2

White plays knight to d2. It develops the knight into the game. It controls the centre (e4). Strong players (2000+) chose this move in 71% of 2482 games.

Step 15

♜︎♝︎♚︎♝︎♞︎♜︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♛︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♞︎♟︎♟︎♟︎♜︎♝︎♛︎♚︎♝︎♜︎
The position

This is the main position of the French Defence: Advance Variation. Now practise it against the engine: choose a strength and play on from here.

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