Advance Variation is variation 1 of 6 in the French Defence course, a intermediate opening course for Black (ECO C02). It runs 22 moves and begins 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 …. White grabs space with 3.e5. Black hits d4 at once with ...c5, ...Nc6, ...Qb6 and the knight route ...Nh6-f5, then expands on the queenside with ...b5. In the lesson every move is explained on a board and then drilled; it is free.
Move by move
1. e4 – White takes the centre and opens lines for the queen and the f1 bishop.
1... e6 – The French: Black prepares ...d5 so that the d5 pawn will be firmly supported by the e6 pawn.
2. d4 – White builds the ideal two-pawn centre on e4 and d4.
2... d5 – Black challenges e4 straight away, so White must decide how to deal with the tension.
3. e5 – The Advance Variation: White gains space and cramps Black's kingside by taking f6 away from the g8 knight.
3... c5 – Black attacks the base of White's pawn chain on d4 at once. This is the standard French reaction to e5.
4. c3 – White supports d4 with a pawn, so that if Black takes on d4 White can recapture with the c-pawn.
4... Nc6 – A second attacker on d4. The knight on c6 also eyes e5.
5. Nf3 – Defends d4 a second time and supports the e5 pawn.
5... Qb6 – A third attacker on d4, and the queen also hits b2. Now the d4 pawn is under real pressure.
6. Be2 – White develops and prepares to castle, keeping d4 defended by the queen and knight. The bishop on e2 does not block the queen's guard of d4.
6... cxd4 – Black releases the tension now so that the c-file opens and the d4 pawn becomes a fixed target.
7. cxd4 – White recaptures with the pawn to keep a solid centre.
7... Nh6 – The knight heads for f5, where it will be a fourth attacker on d4. On f6 it would be kicked by e5, so h6-f5 is the natural route.
8. Nc3 – White develops the last minor piece and covers the b5 and d5 squares.
8... Nf5 – The knight lands on its ideal square: now c6, b6 and f5 all hit d4, which is defended only by the f3 knight and the queen.
The lesson goes on for 6 more moves, each with its explanation.
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