French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Sørensen Variation
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Statistics from Lichess
17,122 games: White 56.5% / Draw 3.0% / Black 40.5%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 6,3706,370 | ||
| 3,1433,143 | ||
| 1,7071,707 | ||
| 1,4621,462 | ||
| 1,2491,249 | ||
| 1,1631,163 | ||
| 942942 | ||
| 335335 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Oct 30, 2026
Engine evaluation
−0.90 Black is better
Best play: 9... Nc6 10. Nf3 Nge7 11. Nc3 Ng6 12. Be3 Qd8 13. Bxg6 hxg6 14. Ne2
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, Sørensen Variation (ECO C02, Open Games) is a gambit in the French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Main Line, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. e5 c5 4. c3 Nc6 5. Nf3 Qb6 6. Bd3 cxd4 7. cxd4 Bd7 8. O-O Nxd4 9. Ng5 (9 moves).
In 17,122 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 56.5%, Black 40.5% and 3.0% were drawn. Black's most played move here is 9…h6, in 37% of those games.
Written from the Lichess opening list and explorer. Know this line well? Write about it.
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How to play against the French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Sørensen Variation
9…Nc6 scores best for Black: 52.7%, with Black winning 51.4% and White 46.0% of 3,143 games. The most played answer, 9…h6, scores lowest: 31.7% in 6,370 games. Stockfish's first choice is also 9…Nc6.
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
Cite this page
Caissa Codex. “French Defense: Advance Variation, Milner-Barry Gambit, Sørensen Variation (C02)”. Lichess data as of 30 Oct 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-advance-variation-milner-barry-gambit-sorensen-variation