French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Advance Line
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Statistics from Lichess
17,841 games: White 55.6% / Draw 5.5% / Black 38.9%
| Next move | Games | White / Draw / BlackW / D / B |
|---|---|---|
| 7,7077,707 | ||
| 4,5914,591 | ||
| 3,9593,959 | ||
| 832832 | ||
| 360360 | ||
| 161161 | ||
| 9292 | ||
| 5656 |
Rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, from the Lichess opening explorer, updated Nov 10, 2026
Engine evaluation
+0.34 White is slightly better
Best play: 6. b3 cxb3 7. Bb5+ Bd7 8. Bxd7+ Nxd7 9. Qe2+ Be7 10. axb3 Ngf6
Stockfish 19, depth 30, after the line's last move. Scores are in pawns, from White's side.
Overview
French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Advance Line (ECO C08, Open Games) is a variation of the French Defense: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, reached after 1. e4 e6 2. d4 d5 3. Nd2 c5 4. exd5 exd5 5. Ngf3 c4 (5 moves).
In 17,841 rated Lichess games between players rated 1600 to 2500, White won 55.6%, Black 38.9% and 5.5% were drawn. White's most played move here is 6. c3, in 43% 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: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Advance Line
6. b3 scores best for White: 60.9%, with White winning 58.5% and Black 36.7% of 3,959 games. The most played, 6. c3, scores 58.3% in 7,707 games, and 6. Be2 scores lowest: 57.9%. Stockfish's first choice is also 6. b3.
Main answers: those played in at least 5% of these games. Score: White'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: Tarrasch Variation, Open System, Advance Line (C08)”. Lichess data as of 10 Nov 2026. https://chesscodex.org/openings/french-defense-tarrasch-variation-open-system-advance-line