Caissa Codex
C02

French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Hector Variation

Chess diagram: French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Hector Variation after 7. O-O

Type a move and press Enter: e4, Nf3, O-O, or from and to squares like g1f3 (e7e8q to promote). The board is also played with the mouse.

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Statistics from Lichess

118,941 games: White 52.9% / Draw 4.5% / Black 42.6%

The moves played next. Pick one to see it on the board.
Next moveGamesWhite / Draw / BlackW / D / B
67,75768K
42,34842K
4,8224,822
1,5841,584
825825
679679
202202
142142

Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 31, 2026

Engine evaluation

+0.13 The position is about equal

Best play: 7... Bd7 8. Re1 Nge7 9. h4 h6 10. Nbd2 dxc3 11. bxc3 Na5 12. Nb3

Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.

Overview

French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Hector Variation (ECO C02, Open Games) is a gambit in the French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. O-O (7 moves).

In 118,941 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 52.9%, Black 42.6% and 4.5% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 7…Bd7, in 57% of those games.

It continues into one named variation.

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How to play against the French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Hector Variation

The most played answer, 7…Bd7, also scores best for Black: 47.2%, with Black winning 44.7% and White 50.2% of 68K games. Of the main answers, 7…dxc3 scores lowest: 41.3%. Stockfish's first choice is also 7…Bd7.

Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: Black's wins plus half the draws, in rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500. How to play against other popular openings

Variations (1)

Other lines from the same position

Instead of 6…cxd4 7. O-O, the position after French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit also goes on to:

Cite this page

Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Hector Variation (C02)”. Lichess data as of 31 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-advance-variation-milner-barry-gambit-hector-variation

https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-advance-variation-milner-barry-gambit-hector-variation