Caissa Codex
Tree path 10 levels French Defense › Normal Variation › French Defense › Advance Variation › French Defense: Advance Variation › French Defense: Advance Variation › French Defense: Advance Variation › Paulsen Attack › French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit › Main Line
  1. Caissa Codex
  2. French Defense C00
  3. Normal Variation C00
  4. French Defense C00
  5. Advance Variation C02
  6. French Defense: Advance Variation C02
  7. French Defense: Advance Variation C02
  8. French Defense: Advance Variation C02
  9. Paulsen Attack C02
  10. French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit C02
  11. Main Line C02 you are here
C02

French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Main Line

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Overview

French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Main Line is a sacrificial opening line filed under ECO C02 in the Open Games group. The defining idea is the early concession of material to seize the initiative and unbalance the position.

The Open Games group covers open games — classical 1.e4 e5 openings where both sides contest the centre directly with pawns.

It is reached after 15 plies of play, with the move sequence 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7 8. O-O.

In the opening tree, this line branches off from French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, part of the broader French Defense system.

It continues primarily into one named line, French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Sørensen Variation.

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ECO code
C02
Group
Open Games (C)
Plies
15
Parent
French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit
Direct variations
1

This overview is generated automatically from the opening's metadata. Know this line well? Write a description — submissions are reviewed before publishing.

Statistics from Lichess

783,416 games · White 50.9% / Draw 4.1% / Black 45.1%

MovesGamesW / D / B
Nxd4717,949
Nge725,850
Nb416,293
Rc89,630
Nh63,910
f62,642
a61,279
Be71,167

Source: Lichess Opening Explorer · cached 2026-09-26 03:05:00

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Variations (1)

Related variations at the same level

Sister lines that share the same parent French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit:

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